Waiting for the Rain to Pass
by keynote123
Summary: James Diamond had the perfect life: a wonderful wife, two adorable children, and close friends he knew would never leave his side. However, life always likes to throw curveballs when you least expect it. A fateful trip to the park sends the family on a downward spirial when one of the kids goes missing. Eleven painful years later the hope of finding what was once lost is dead.
1. Chapter 1

**Guess who started another story? THIS CHICK! I'm so super excited about it and I've been planning it for months now! This chapter sets everything up and introduces the conflict(: Are you ready for this because I'm ready for this!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Big Time Rush:( If I did there would be a whole lot more of Logie-Bear!**

"DADDY!" came the squeal of the little five year old girl running to James Diamond, her auburn curls bouncing with every step she took. The older man smiled fondly at his daughter and crouched down to swing her up in his arms.

"How is my little Ellie-Beth today?" He asked while attempting to smooth down her wild mane. She frowned and tried to swat away his hand.

"No, Daddy, jus' Ellie."

"Yeah, Daddy, just Ellie," Autumn Diamond commented, an amused smile playing on her lips. James turned to raise his eyebrows at his wife who gladly returned the expression. Suddenly, a little hazel-eyed boy ran out from between her legs and planted himself right next to his father's feet.

"Hey bud, how was your day?" James inquired as he handed Elizabeth over to his wife and picked up Noah. The older of the two twins launched excitedly into a detailed account of the day their dad had missed while at work (with his sister filling in the blanks, of course).

"Go wash your hands for dinner, you two," Autumn shooed the twins away. Noah took off sprinting to the bathroom while Ellie tried desperately to keep up. James smiled fondly in their direction and slid off his jacket.

"How was work?" She asked while removing the dinosaur chicken nuggets from the oven.

"Stressful," James replied simply. "Now I know why my mom wanted me to take over the family business; nobody seems to understand how to do their job."

Autumn set down the hot tray and crossed the short distance to wrap her arms around the taller man's waist. He smiled and let his head rest on top of his wife's.

"Logan, Carlos, and Kendall are coming tomorrow to look after the two trouble makers so we can go out." She tilted her head up slightly. James bent down and lightly brushed their lips together.

"Good, because we haven't gone out for a while." He was about to go in for another kiss when the sound of pattering feet on the hardwood interrupted them.

"All done!" Noah exclaimed. "I even used soap and everything!" Ellie nodded enthusiastically. The couple laughed and the small family went to take their seats at the dinner table.

The twins happily played with their food, attacking each other's prehistoric poultry. Noah would push over Ellie's dinosaur repeatedly and she didn't seem to mind in the slightest bit. Autumn and James watched fondly until the carbon copy of her mother accidentally knocked over her chocolate milk.

Ellie's giant forest green eyes started to tear up as her drink dripped onto her lap. "I'm sorry," she whimpered before tears rolled down her freckled face. "I didn't mean to."

"Hey, princess, it's ok," James stood up and took his daughter in his arms. "It was an accident and both Mommy and I knew that. Let's get you changed, alright?" Ellie nodded and let her father carry her up to her room.

"Your uncles are coming over tomorrow," James said while peeling off the young girl's purple shorts.

Upon hearing the news, Ellie started bouncing up and down on her bed excitedly. "Uncle Logie!" She exclaimed. He smiled and plucked a new pair of shorts out of her dresser.

"You haven't seen him for a while, have you princess?" His daughter shook her head quickly. James held out the shorts and Ellie clumsily stepped into them, using her father's shoulder as a support. She let go, but quickly lost her balance and fell to the floor.

"It'll be a miracle if you ever become a dancer," James commented with a grin. The tiny girl giggled brightly.

"Once we get her on the ice there'll be no stopping her," a new voice commented from the doorway.

"Uncle Kendall!" Ellie squealed and scrambled up to run over to him. He smiled and scooped up his niece.

"Hi, cutie!" He greeted her as he gave a tickled to her side. She let lose a pearl of laughter.

"Kendall, my daughter is never going to play any form of hockey. She could break a bone, or worse!"

"James, she's a kid and kid's bounce back quickly. I don't want my niece to grow up without being a little roughed up."

"Uncle Kendall, I thought you were coming tomorrow!" Ellie exclaimed, her little mind just then understanding her uncle was early. James let out a breath, thankful to get off the topic of mutilating his daughter.

"I know cutie, but Uncle Carlos, Uncle Logan, and I just couldn't wait to see you and Noah so we came a day early," Kendall replied. The five-year olds eyes widened and she started to wiggle in his grasp.

"Uncle Logie!" She exclaimed as Kendall set her down. Ellie took off running down the hallway and stairs where her beloved uncle was.

The now-doctor's eyes brightened as his goddaughter charged full speed at him. He picked her up and kissed the top of her head and she smiled brightly.

"How are you, my dear?" He asked.

"I'm good but I've missed you _so much_!" Ellie looked like this was a serious dilemma.

"How much is '_so much'_?" Logan asked, an amused smile playing on his lips. The girl in his arms squinted her eyes, a look of pure concentration and thought on her face.

"This much!" She answered while stretching out her little arms as far as they could go.

"See, Logan, I told you she missed you," James commented from the doorway to the kitchen.

"And I missed you too, my little sunshine," Logan said while brushing a strand of hair behind Ellie's ear. She pouted and pushed his hand away.

Noah had resumed his game with a new friend. Carlos made his dinosaur growl and attack his opponent while the younger boy tried to decapitate the meat. Autumn laughed at the scene and snuggled close to her husband.

"You see, dear sister? I told you we'll have this under control for tonight and tomorrow. Now go, we made reservations at a hotel for you two," Kendall explained while pushing the couple out the door.

"But we don't have any bags packed and I didn't get to say goodbye-"

"We already packed for the both of you," Logan answered in a rational manner.

"How did you?-"

"Don't worry about it," Carlos called from the table.

"Noah, Ellie, say goodbye to Mommy and Daddy," Kendall instructed. The twins waved and gave their cheerful farewells. Autumn and James stood there in a confused daze.

"Everything's going to be great! You better get going because check in ends at 7:30 and it's 7:05. Have fun you two!" The blond walked them to the door and closed it in their faces, effectively locking them out.

"Well that was surprisingly easy," Carlos commented. Noah took that moment of distraction to steal the chicken nugget from his hand and put it in his mouth. Carlos pretended to look offended and started to mercilessly tickle him. Noah squealed and tried to squirm out of his godfather's grasp, but it didn't work.

"Uncle Carlos!" He giggled and kicked his feet in the air.

"Carlitos spare the poor boy," Kendall said with a laugh. The Latino pouted but the tickling ceased, leaving Noah breathing heavily.

"Let's watch Nemo!" He exclaimed after his breathing returned to normal. Ellie's eyes widened and she nodded in agreement.

"How about we get in our pajamas then we'll watch Nemo." Logan suggested to the children, who found that to be the greatest idea on the face of the planet.

After Kendall cleaned up the kitchen and Carlos tried to wrangle Noah into his pajamas the five of them were ready to watch the ultimate children's movie. Noah was squished in between Carlos and Kendall while Ellie was perched on Logan's lap.

They had reached the part where Marlin and Dori were talking to Crush the sea turtle when both kids were fast asleep. Noah was dangerously close to falling off the couch and his sister was curled up, looking much like a cat.

Kendall smiled affectionately at his niece and nephew, quietly pausing the movie. "Should we move the troops upstairs?" He whispered. Carlos and Logan agreed and carefully stood up. The smart boy readjusted his goddaughter so she was balanced on his hip, her cheek resting on his shoulder while she snored softly. Carlos managed the same for Noah, just a little less gracefully.

The twins were transferred into their separate rooms where they slept like a rock. Logan stood in the doorframe to Ellie's room, his eyes sad. Kendall came up behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Something wrong, Logan?" He asked, concern lacing his voice. The other boy turned around and ran a hand through his dark hair.

"I just worry about them, you know? There're so many things that could hurt either of them." He paused to look in at the girl's sleeping form. "Noah and Ellie mean the world to me. Ever since we found out Camille can't have kids those two have become like my own children. I get scared that one day they won't be here and it'll tear the family apart. I know it's really dumb…"

"No, Logan, you have every right to feel like this." Kendall stated seriously. He paused. "We want to give the world to Noah and Ellie; to make sure nothing ever hurts them. The thought of either of them not being here makes me upset just to think about. We just have to trust nothing bad is going to happen."

Logan cracked a small smile and put his hand on the blonde's shoulder. "I guess you're right." He laughed softly. "I mean, what are the odds one of them will get kidnapped and we never see them again for over a decade?"

Kendall joined in the laughter and agreed. "Now let's go downstairs because I have papers to grade."

"The life of an English teacher," Carlos sighed dramatically. The trio set down to the kitchen and Kendall lightly shoved the Latino.

"Teaching high school students the wonders of writing is actually tiring, believe it or not."

Their squabble continued for a solid hour and a half. It would have gone longer, had Logan not cut them off, pointing out his job could save lives. They quieted down very quickly after that.

"You're a natural!" Kendall shouted to his nephew as he gave him a high-five. Noah had just scored his fourth goal in the tiny hockey net set up in the Diamond's back yard.

"I love hockey!" The little boy shouted gleefully. Carlos laughed from the table on the side.

"Ellie, are you sure you don't want to join us?" Kendall called. The bronze haired child shook her head, her concentration on the picture of two grasshoppers she was coloring.

The two athletes shrugged and continued their exciting game. Logan sat next to Ellie and praised her work.

"I'm not done yet, Uncle Logie," she giggled. Her little hand messily drew two more grasshoppers below the picture perfect insects of the coloring book. (They ended up looking more like green blobs with legs, but that was beside the point.) She colored a purple bow on the top of one blob and scribbled her name below it. She frowned and turned to Logan.

"How do you spell Noah's name?" Ellie asked confusedly. The smart boy patiently helped her through the spelling of her brother's name, as well as the words "mommy" and "daddy" (although it was quite illegible).

Noah had just scored yet another goal when the back door opened. The mini-James dropped his stick and went running over to his parents. His sister looked up excitedly and hopped off her chair as fast as she could.

"DADDY! MOMMY!" Noah screamed happily. The couple smiled affectionately and Autumn picked up her son.

"How's my little man doing? Is Uncle Kendall teaching you to play hockey?" The green-eyed girl asked.

Noah nodded enthusiastically in response. Ellie clutched her picture and stared up at her parents quietly, waiting for her turn to talk. James smiled and scooped her up in his arms.

"Did you have fun with your uncles, pretty girl?" He asked. His daughter gave a happy "yes" and held up the messily colored picture.

"Uncle Logie helped me make us bugs!" She said excitedly, her words slightly slurring. James gently took the picture from Ellie's hands and smiled.

"It's beautiful, princess! You even drew you and Noah," He praised. His daughter smiled widely. "It looks like you have a leaf in your hair." James commented as he tried to pull out said object from her wild locks.

"I'll get it!" She hurriedly pushed away her dad's hand and clumsily combed through her hair until she found the pesky leaf. The adults laughed warmly.

"Can we go the park today? Pleeeeeeease?" Noah begged. James and Autumn looked at each other and shrugged.

"I'll take them since I've been at work all of this week," The tall man offered. The twins squealed in happiness and tried to wiggle out of their parent's grasp.

"Noah, take your stick inside! Ellie, brush your hair and change into something that you didn't wear yesterday!" Autumn called after the children.

Not five minutes later did the twins emerge from the doorway. Noah was smiling wide while his sister was sniffling. James frowned and couched down to her level.

"What's wrong, princess?" He asked worriedly. Ellie blinked, tears falling from her eyes and pointed to her head.

"The brush is stuck," she whimpered. The sparkly purple brush was, in fact, dangling from her reddish waves. Autumn smiled lightly and walked over to her daughter.

"I'll help you, sweetie." She grabbed hold of the piece of plastic and widened her legs in the proper stance. "One, two, three!" She tugged with all her might and the hair care equipment came out.

"This is why you need to brush your hair, kiddo." Kendall commented with a laugh. Ellie just scrunched her eyebrows together before she proclaimed she was ready to go.

"We'll be back in two hours!" James called back as his children dragged him out to the car.

Noah and Ellie were having a blast on any and everything the park had to offer. However, about an hour in Noah decided if he didn't go the bathroom he would explode.

James looked around worriedly. Ellie had already refused to step foot into the boys' bathroom but he couldn't leave her alone. He spotted a kindly looking woman watching what he presumed to be her daughter climbing on the jungle gym and walked over.

"Excuse me, miss?" The lady turned her head to reveal a pair of warm brown eyes.

"How can I help you?" She asked with a smile.

"Can you look after my daughter while I take my son to the bathroom?"

"I would love to," She answered, grinning widely. James thanked her profusely and crouched down to Ellie's level.

"This nice lady is going to look after you while I take Noah to the bathroom. Be good, alright?" His daughter fumbled with the silver heart-shaped locket she had since she was born nervously.

"You'll come back soon, right?" She sounded scared.

"Five minutes and no later," James promised. Ellie nodded and her father placed a kiss on her forehead.

Sure enough, just four minutes later James walked back to the park area with a very relieved Noah, who ran off to the swing set. The older man scanned his eyes across the little kids and his heartbeat accelerated when his daughter was not in sight. He started to walk around, desperately hoping she would pop out of nowhere or he had just missed her.

"Ellie?" James called out. "Elizabeth?" By now he was beyond worried. "Elizabeth Regan Diamond, this isn't funny!" However, no response came. His breathing hitched and he frantically looked around for the kind woman James had trusted to look after his now-missing daughter.

"_Calm down, maybe she had to go to the bathroom._" He tried to comfort himself. After fifteen minutes passed with no sign of Ellie or the woman James was on the verge of tears.

"_What did I just do?_"

**Awww, poor James! He must feel awful! (I mean, if I lost a kid at the park I wouldn't feel too hot either!) So there's chapter numero uno! (Aren't I just amazing at Spanglish!;) **

**James: I LOST MY OWN DAUGHTER?! **

**Me: Yeah, you did. I told you putting the GPS inside her head would be a good idea, but would you listen? NO!**

**James: *is in too much emotional shock to speak***

**Me: I'll let him cope. **

**I would love you forever and ever if you reviewed/favorited/followed/ate you dog… On second thought, don't do the last one….**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hiya there guys! How's it going in Fanfiction world? I just want to thank all of you who reviewed/favorited/followed this story just from the first chapter. It made me so happy! Cyber sugar cookies to: Shehunter, BigTimeRusher422, AkireAlev (CYBER HUG TO YOU!), and Four Rights and a Square, who wins the quote of the week.**

"…**though I really hope James doesn't like start doing drugs or smoking 'cause that would be really bad for his health" Thank you, McKenna, for those wonderful words.**

**Disclaimer: No poseo Big Time Rush. Lo siento!**

_Eleven years later in Richmond, Virginia_

The fireflies danced around me and I tried to catch one in the palm of my hand. The warm August air gently brushed my bare shoulder as I stood on my tiptoes. I stretched out my fingers, just about to pull the glowing bug into my grasp when I slipped on the slick grass and fell flat on my face.

"Real smooth, Ellie," My best friend commented with a laugh.

"I wanted the firefly and it was _right there _Gail! RIGHT THERE!" I emphasized. She rolled her hazel eyes in response and offered me her hand which I gladly accepted.

"I worry about your mental instability sometimes," She said with a tiny smile. I brushed off my shorts and shook my head.

"I'm sixteen years old and last time I checked, sixteen year-olds are allowed to catch bugs with neon butts!" I countered. Gail raised her eyebrows and gave me one of those 'whatever-you-say' looks. I laughed and checked the time on my phone.

The wind blew slightly, bringing the smell of salt water to my nose. I smiled and inhaled deeply.

"I'll really miss summer. It's been perfect this year." I sighed. Gail laughed.

"You say that every year."

"I know but I mean it this time," I protested. "I just have this feeling junior year is going to complicate our lives and mess us up."

"Well, let's just enjoy what we have left of summer." I gave a sad smile.

"Yeah, all three days." My best friend grinned and grabbed my hand to lead us back to our cars. I opened the tiny red vehicle and threw my keys in the driver's side before slamming the door shut.

"I'm actually kind of scared," I admitted. "I mean, I only know who three of my teachers are… Only because I've had them before." Gail laughed and leaned against the bed of her truck.

"Alright, let me guess the subjects. Band, math, and English?" I shook my head.

"You have two of the three right. Obviously, band is right, and I do have the same math teacher but I have a different English teacher this year." She pulled her eyebrows together.

"Who do you have? I could've sworn for regular English it was Mrs. Fallen who taught every period." I shrugged my shoulders and pushed a strand of hair behind my ear.

"I have somebody named Mr. Knight. Have you heard that name before? It sounds really familiar." Gail frowned and shook her head, claiming to not know anybody with the last name of Knight. I just shrugged and opened my door.

"Hey, before school starts you, me, and Alice need to have a sleepover!" She exclaimed, referring to our other best friend. I nodded my head, agreeing completely.

"I should really get home. You know how my parents are when it gets past 9:30," I laughed.

"See you soon, Ellie!"

"Bye, Gail!"

I carefully backed out of the nature park's parking spot and drove the short trip back to my house. I pulled into the garage, turned off the car, and made my way into the house.

As soon as I opened the door my dog tried to knock me over. I threw my keys on the counter and gave him a quick pat on the head.

"I'm home!" I called out before spotting my huge lump of a car lying on the couch, his pure white fur making him look more like a giant snowball. "Hi, Fitzy," I greeted him. His real name was Sir Fitzwilliam but that was a mouthful. (When my parents bought him for me in seventh grade I was going through a weird name obsession phase and Sir Fitzwilliam it ended up being. I thought it would be cute for such a tiny kitten _before _he "found the buffet" as my dad liked to put it.)

The white mountain gave a pitiful meow before curling back up and going to sleep. The sudden sound of footsteps on the stairs accompanied by my mom's presence came.

"Hi, Ellie-Beth!" She smiled.

"Mom," I groaned. "Just Ellie!" She laughed and went to ruffle my hair, which I promptly ducked away from.

"How's Gail doing? You haven't had her over in a while," She looked distressed. My mom adored Gail and Alice and I was pretty sure she wanted them to move in.

"Mom, she was over less than a week ago," I pointed out. My mother's eyebrows knitted together and her lips pulled in a frown.

"I could've sworn it was longer!"

"You're losing it, Mom," I placed my hand on her back and she smiled. "I'm going to shower and head to bed because I'm tired."

My mom gave me a hug. "Goodnight, sweetheart. I love you."

"I love you too."

* * *

The next two days passed by in a bittersweet blur. Before I knew it I was pulling into the junior parking lot, my eyes drooping from lack of sleep. I grabbed my music note-adorned sunglasses from the cup holder before slinging my backpack over my shoulder, slamming and locking the car, and mentally preparing myself to take on the day.

I entered the old building and was immediately greeted by a couple of my band friends. I waved back cheerily (for it only being 7:01 in the morning) and went to find my friends. As soon as I spotted the long brown hair of Gail and the rainbow backpack of Alice I made my way over to them.

I snuck up behind them before attacking Alice in a hug. She freaked out and nearly hit me in the face before realizing who was assaulting her.

"Elizabeth Reagan Whitacre, do not do that to me!" She reprimanded, the happiness in her blue eyes not matching her tone. I smiled brightly and shifted my bag, the wooden drumsticks in the side pocket clicking together.

"Who's ready for today?" Gail asked, pushing her way next to us. I shook my head and Alice gave a wholehearted "NO!" in response.

I looked around and noticed the anxious faces of young students, presumably freshman worried about getting lost. I felt bad for them, remembering the exact feeling they were experiencing. It was always hard transitioning to a new environment.

"Woah, tall, tan, and muscles passing by us," Alice elbowed me and jerked her head to the left. I turned to stare in that general direction and immediately found the guy she was referring to. A boy looking like he was in our grade or a senior with swooping brunette hair and deep hazel eyes casually strolled by us. He was tall (close to six feet at least) and had the perfect shade of golden skin. He was the typical guy to make my heart jump but upon locking eyes with him I felt absolutely nothing.

"He must be new," I commented absently. Out of nowhere the bell rang, making me jump.

I quickly pulled out my schedule and scanned it for my first class, which happened to be chemistry. I combed a hand through my hair and looked up.

"I'm going to head off the chem. See you guys at lunch and have a good first day!"

"Bye, Ells!" Alice patted my head before making her way up the stairs. I frowned and lightly touched the top of my head. I shrugged and waved goodbye to Gail, hoping this day would go by easily.

I had successfully made it through chemistry, physiology, study hall, and band when Spanish (my favorite class) rolled around.

I walked into the crowded classroom, not really knowing anybody well enough to go sit down by them. I chose an empty desk near the back and sat down quietly, listening to the happy chatter of friends who hadn't seen each other since the end of the school year.

I looked around the classroom until a voice broke me out of my trance.

"Is it alright if I sit here?" I looked up to find the same boy from earlier that morning.

"Go ahead," I answered shyly while I moved my backpack out of the way.

"I'm Noah. Noah Diamond" the boy introduced himself. I smiled lightly and went to shake his hand.

"Are you new?" I asked, instantly regretting it. He probably got that in any class he went to.

"Yeah, my parents and I just moved here from Minnesota." I sat there, nodding my head dumbly until I realized I hadn't introduced myself.

"Oh, I'm Ellie Whitacre! Sorry, I just, I mean, I-I…" I let myself trail off awkwardly before hiding my bright red face in my arms. Talking to new people wasn't one of my strong points.

Luckily enough for me, the bell rang and the teacher started to talk. Unluckily enough, however, was the fact she kept us in the same seats we were currently in, leaving me next to Noah for an entire quarter.

"Now, students find someone you don't know too well and tell them your name, grade, what activities you're involved in, and why you're taking Spanish," our teacher instructed in the last five minutes of class. I didn't get the chance to look for a partner before I was claimed by none other than Noah.

"Well, I've told you my name, so I'm a junior and I'm in choir, show choir, and I hope to join theater and make the boys' ice hockey team," He told me. "Oh, and I didn't really want to take Spanish; my parents wanted me to learn it."

I nodded and pushed a strand of hair behind my ear. "Like I said earlier: My name's Ellie, well, actually it's Elizabeth but I hate being called by my full name. Ummm, I'm also a junior and I'm in marching band- I play in drum line- and I can't sing or dance to save my life, but I do play ice hockey." Noah raised his eyebrows. I smiled and nodded my head. "Oh, I took Spanish because it was the only language that fit with my schedule but I kind of fell in love with the language."

"You play hockey?" He asked in disbelief.

"Since I was eight," I confirmed. "Sadly, the school doesn't have a girls' ice hockey team so I'm always stuck trying to find a travel team during the winter." The tall boy just sat there, a smile on his tan face.

"I like you," Noah announced. I laughed and sent him a look. "We're going to be good friends, I can just tell." I smiled, slightly confused, just as the bell rang.

"Bye, Ellie," He waved.

"See you later, Noah," I said before leaving to go to lunch.

I made it through eating without a hitch, talking to Gail and Alice about how our days were going so far.

Calculus passed by easily and quickly and I knew that was going to be one of my favorite classes of the day. Not only did I have a bunch of friends (including Gail) but I knew the teacher.

The bell rang and I slowly made my way upstairs for my English class. Students passed me by, their eyes glued to the green pieces of paper containing their schedules. I walked down the crowded hallway, searching for classroom 2126.

I approached the classroom to find a tall man with blond hair standing outside the door, smiling and greeting each student who passed in.

"_He must be Mr. Knight_," I thought before walking to the doorway

"Hello," The older man smiled. I looked up to return the favor and nearly jumped. His eyes were startlingly similar to my own green ones.

I walked into the room, an odd feeling overcoming me. I looked up at the board to find we could sit wherever we wanted to. Not really knowing anybody, I took an empty desk in the middle.

The bell rang and Mr. Knight walked in, closing the door in the process. Everybody quieted down and turned to the front of the classroom. All the girls around me started flashing each other smiles and ogling over our teacher. I just sat there, my eyes cast downwards.

"Hey, guys," He smiled and picked up a piece of paper I assumed to be the roster. "I'm Mr. Knight and welcome to eleventh grade English. I've been teaching this class for a while now but I'm new to this school because my wife, two kids, and I just moved here from California."

He went to take attendance, smiling at every person. However, as soon as I was reached at the end of the list I didn't quite get the same reaction.

"Elizabeth Whitacre?" Mr. Knight called.

"Just Ellie," I corrected softly. He turned to smile at me, but a look of confusion and disbelief crossed his face. I cast my eyes down, the same bad feeling coming over me. Call it a hunch, but I felt like Mr. Knight just might be the reason for a messed up junior year.

**Wow, that was boring! I'm so sorry for that guys and I promise the next chapter will be better because I won't have to introduce (or reintroduce I guess you could say) characters and establish the setting and all that boring stuff:/ On the plus side, we got to meet the twins in older forms! (Too bad they don't know they're related…) **

**James: *has fallen asleep* **

**Me: JAMIE-BEAR, WAKE UP!**

**James: Don't call me that!**

**Me: I will call you what I want, thank you very much!**

**Sorry again for the lame chapter. The next one will be interesting, I promise so don't give up on me! **

**I love hearing from you guys so please don't hesitate to review! (It makes me a very happy panda!:)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi there my lovely readers! I hope you all have been enjoying the holiday season and such!(: Sorry this chapter took forever and a day to get out. I've had family (with two little cousins that follow you wherever you go…), Christmas craziness, and all that fun stuff. Cyber sugar cookies in various holiday shapes to: Four Rights and a Square, BigTimeRusher422, AkireAlev, Shehunter, xxFaking Smilesxx, and the fabulous Pink Princess 777. **

**Disclaimer: I did not receive Kendall, Carlos, Logan, or James underneath my tree yesterday, therefore I don't own them:( **

"Alright, let me get this straight: Como means "I eat". I thought it was a question word!"

"Noah," I said in annoyance. "For the eleventh time, como _without_ the accent mark means "I eat". If you have the accent mark it is, in fact, a question word."

"Well, what if I forget the accent? Would it confuse people?"

I threw my pencil down and started to massage my temples. We were in Spanish class ten weeks into the school year and the tall boy was running me up a wall. Don't get me wrong, I really liked Noah and he was possibly my best friend apart from Gail and Alice, but he could get on my nerves pretty quickly when I was feeling short tempered.

That was why it took all of my willpower not to beat him over the head with the nearest dictionary. Not only was I high strung about an upcoming chemistry test and stressful band rehearsals, but we were getting back a huge paper in English and I was pretty convinced Mr. Knight had a profound dislike for me. (Call it the looks of distaste he gave me or the way he made me feel dumb while asking questions, but I didn't get the best vibe from the man.)

"How's it going over here, chicos?" Our teacher asked.

"Fantastic, Senorita Williams," Noah replied enthusiastically. She smiled and praised our "diligent work ethic" (to which I gave a mental eye roll).

I continued to write down answers on the worksheet, trying to avoid all questions from the hazel-eyed boy sitting next to me. Before I knew it, my paper was ripped out from under me. I turned to give Noah a threatening stare but stopped when he looked concerned.

"Ellie, what's wrong? You don't regularly act like this." I opened my mouth to reply but I was cut off. "Oh, and giving me the "nothing's wrong, I'm just tired" response isn't going to cut it."

I narrowed my eyes and tried to regain my paper, but Noah just held it back even more. A wave of annoyance washed through me. I didn't want to talk right now and he was acting like he was my brother or something!

"Noah, give me back my worksheet," I demanded. He widened his eyes and shook his head. I let out an audible huff and gave the tall boy a frown.

"Elizabeth I-don't-know-your-middle-name Whitacre, the bell is about to ring and since we're both going to lunch, I'm going to make you talk," Noah looked very serious.

"_Does this boy never give up?_" I thought. Sure enough, the loud bell tone sounded and everybody jumped out of their desks, eager to meet up with new friends in the hallways. I put away my school supplies as slow as I possibly could, but Noah wasn't having any of that. He shoved my Spanish binder in, zipped up the bag, and then proceeded to drag it out of the room.

I hurriedly caught up with him and took my backpack.

"I keep important stuff in there," I reminded him. Noah just shrugged and pulled me up the nearest staircase. I stumbled a few times until we stopped in an empty hallway.

"Alright, now what's bothering you?" He asked. I blinked a few times, knowing I wasn't getting out of this one.

"Honestly, Noah, I don't get why you care this much. I doesn't even involve you," I pointed out. He bit his lip and awkwardly rubbed his neck.

"There's just something about you that makes me care," He admitted. Unconsciously, a small smile graced my lips.

"If you really want to know," I started, finally giving in. "I'm just really stressed about everything. In between my grades, drumline, hockey conditioning, and an English teacher that hates me, I just need a break."

Noah gave a sad smile and pulled me in for a hug. An odd feeling passed through me. In that small moment I felt safe and comfortable, but not in a romantic way. There was another part of that feeling that was oddly familiar and I couldn't shake it off.

"It's a good thing marching band is almost over," Noah told me. I nodded my head. "Once you're finally done, I'm going to make you come over to my house and we're going to have a movie marathon!"

I laughed and broke apart to give him a look. "A movie marathon? Really?" I asked. He nodded his head excitedly.

Out of nowhere he frowned. "Wait, who's your English teacher that doesn't like you?" I blinked a few more times, my mind trying to transition topics just as fast as Noah had.

"I have Mr. Knight," I answered. His face turned disbelieving.

"What does he look like?"

"Ummm," I paused to think. "He's tall, blonde hair, green eyes the same color as mine, kind of bushy eyebrows-"

"I can't believe this," Noah groaned. "There goes my chance of being put on the boy's ice hockey team!"

I frowned and pulled my eyebrows together in confusion. "What's wrong?" From what I could hear, it sounded like he knew Mr. Knight personally.

Noah shook his head and combed his fingers through his brown hair. "It doesn't matter." I raised my eyebrows and sent him a disbelieving look.

"You aren't getting out of this one so easily. If I was forced to talk against my will then you have to tell me this."

He sighed and slid down against the lockers. I took a seat next to him and waited patiently.

"Mr. Knight is my uncle," He stated softly. I looked at him, my eyes giant.

"He's your _what_?!" I wasn't fully comprehending this information. Noah looked at me, sadness in his hazel eyes.

"Yeah, we're related. He's my mom's older brother." He stopped to push the hair out of his eyes. "I looked up to him big time when I was little. He taught me how to play hockey and everything."

"Then why are you upset he's here?" I asked. He looked down and bit the inside of his cheek.

"When I was five something awful happened and it tore the family apart. Uncle Kendall hasn't talked to us in ten years and I doubt the rest of my relatives want to make contact with us." The look on Noah's face made me want to cry. This boy was truly heartbroken.

"What was it that happened eleven years ago?" I asked gently.

"That's another story for another day," Noah replied sadly. I leaned over and wrapped my arms around his shoulders.

"_Whatever happened must have been truly horrible for it to break a family apart_," I thought unhappily.

"I'm so sorry, Noah," I murmured. He closed his eyes and shook his head, his hair falling in his tan face.

"We've gotten use to it. It's just normal not to get Christmas cards from my grandparents or birthday presents from Uncle Kendall and Aunt Jo."

We stayed in the position for a little bit in silence until I decided to break it.

"I'll send you a Christmas card and buy you birthday presents," I whispered. Noah turned up to look at me then burst out laughing. Before too long I was joining in.

"I look forward to seeing the Whitacre family Christmas card," Noah chuckled as he stood up. He held out his hand and I grasped it, allowing him to pull me up.

"They tend to be quite lovely," I said in a British accent.

"I will be eagerly awaiting its arrival," Noah replied in the same manner. He stuck out his arm. "May I have the honor of accompanying you to lunch, my lady?"

"Why, certainly," I smiled and linked arms.

* * *

Lunch passed by in the most interesting fashion (as always). Noah dropped me off at my table (not without winking at Gail, who proceeded to turn the brightest shade of red) before sitting with some of his friends. From there, I tried to talk about indoor drumline that was coming up, but every attempt came back around to Noah.

"You like him!" Alice wiggled her eyebrows. Gail turned to give her a frantic look.

"No she doesn't!" She interjected quickly.

"Oh, puh-lease! I can feel the sexual tension between the two of them," At that comment I spewed my water all over the table, coughing and choking noises coming unpleasantly from my mouth.

"Don't… Say that!" I managed to get out. My friends wiped their faces, a look of distaste coloring them.

"Ok, so Ellie's _not _sexually attracted to Justin Bieber the Second." Alice said. I shook my head quickly. Just _thinking _about something like that made me uncomfortable.

The bell sounded and I jumped up to get away as quickly as I could. "Remind me to never bring Noah around the lunch table ever again," I mumbled to myself.

* * *

My heart pounded in my chest as I watched Mr. Knight pass back our essays. I worked my absolute hardest and I was pretty proud of the finished product. Not only had I fully addressed the prompt but I added in my own writing style like he asked us to do.

My paper was placed down on my desk and I eagerly flipped it over, prepared to get my first A on one of Mr. Knight's writing assignments.

My heart sunk as soon as my eyes met the C- on the top of the paper. A mixture of sadness, confusion, and anger bubbled inside me. I flipped through the pages to find it had been practically ripped apart by my teacher's vicious red pen. Tears burned in the back of my eyes as I read the final comments he made on the last page.

"_Try addressing the prompt the next time._" It read. I gawked and couldn't believe it. We had to write about a person in our lives that we looked up to and I chose my mom. I had five different people edit it, making sure to attach the rubric and prompt with it and they all said it was _very _well written.

"If you guys have any questions, feel free to ask me," Mr. Knight offered with a smile.

"_Oh, trust me, I plan on having a good long conversation with you,_" I thought bitterly. The rest of the class, of course, made no move to ask him; simply accepting the grade they received.

The bell rang and the rest of my classmates darted out of the room. I, on the other hand, made my way up to my teacher's desk to talk about my essay. (I didn't have to worry about being late to my last class since I had an early release.)

"Mr. Knight?" I asked politely. He turned to look at me, his eyes showing that split second of displeasure.

"How can I help you, Elizabeth?" He asked. I gritted my teeth, hating that name. He was the only one of my teachers who refused to call me Ellie.

"I don't understand why I got a C on this essay," I stated.

"It didn't address the prompt," Mr. Knight replied a little too quickly. I pulled my eyebrows together.

"I disagree," I retaliated, immediately feeling shocked with myself. Had I just talked back to a teacher?

"Oh? How so?" He asked in a clipped tone. Anger rushed through me when I saw the clear repulsion written on his face.

I clenched my paper and held it up. "You said to write about a person we looked up to and why. I very clearly wrote about that and made sure I followed the rubric exactly how it was written. I know you don't like me for whatever reason you have, but the fact you're giving me lower grades because of it is ridiculous."

The older man looked like he was restraining himself from starting a screaming match with me. "I gave you the grade your writing deserved and that is final. Now, if you'll kindly leave the room I have a twelfth period class to teach."

He pushed past me and it took all of my will power _not _to start beating him with his computer. I clenched my jaw and walked out of his room in a fury.

"_I don't understand what I ever did to him,_" I thought angrily as I opened my locker to get my binders I needed for the night. I loudly slammed the metal before making it to my car in a rage.

"I'm going to find out what his problem is and make him get over it because I won't be able to take the rest of the year like this."

**And, scene! What did you guys think? Isn't Kendall just a giant jerk? Nah, he has his reasons…** **But anyway, I hope you all had a **_**very **_**merry Christmas for those of you who celebrate and the rest of you had a happy Tuesday(: **

**James: I'm Jewish so things just got awkward…**

**Me: No, because I know you had a happy Hanukkah.**

**James: I was actually pretty amazing.**

**Me: I have ways of knowing these things… **

**I hope to have chapter three (I think it's three…) up soon kiddies! Until then, stay beautiful(;**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello my lovely readers! How have you been this past month? *You all prepare to chase me down with kitchen supplies* I'M SO SORRY, OK? I've been partly busy, and partly lazy. I really hope this chapter makes up for it because it's kind of long. Cyber banana bread to: AkireAlev, SheHunter, and Pink Princess 777. **

*****IMPORTANT! Ok, so something I never clarified is this is the sequel to my first story **_**Before the Storm**_**. Honestly, you don't have to read it to understand this story, which is how I want it to be. However, I do mention this character named Autumn and she's kind of important. Basically, she's the younger sister to Kendall and they're like a year and a half apart. She married James and they had Noah and Ellie. I'm sorry for not making that clear sooner. Like I said, please do not feel obligated to read my other story, but if you like angsty stories then you might like it(: **

I carefully maneuvered into the only empty parking spot in the Panera parking lot, trying not to hit the expensive-looking sports car right next to me. I managed to squeeze out the door and make it inside the restaurant without any cars running over me.

I stepped in the warm building, relief flooding my body. I scanned the tables until I found the familiar faces of Alice, Gail, and Noah. The only boy of the group spotted me and a smile crossed his perfect face. I grinned back while making my way over to the circular table.

"Thank god _somebody's _finally here!" Alice exclaimed dramatically. I stuck my tongue out at my friend before taking a seat across from Gail.

"I'm sorry but my car wouldn't start for me," I explained with a frown.

"Your car's a piece of shit. Why do you still have it?" Alice asked before taking a bite of her sandwich. I nervously played with my keys and readjusted the green beanie on my head instead of answering. I had bought the car from a close family friend after saving for years and years on end and the pathetic salary I made at the local grocery store wasn't enough for repairs.

"Because if I got rid of it I would have to walk everywhere," I answered with a smile. "Now, I'm going to get food because my stomach keeps on making odd noises."

My friends shooed me away and I impatiently waited in the short line to order a salad. I stared at the green light fixtures and spent my time wondering where they purchased the lights.

"_Or maybe they actually made the-"_

"Miss, here's your salad." The cashier pulled me out of my pondering to hand me my food.

I gave a bright 'thank you' before joining my friends, who looked like they were having a heated discussion.

"-this is too pretty to cut! My life would be over if anybody came near this with scissors!" Noah argued frantically while clutching his hair. I raised my eyebrows as I took a seat.

"You're just like Ellie," Alice grumbled. I sent her a questioning look, confusion taking over my body.

"Yeah, just watch," Gail said with an excited smile. I frowned, not liking where this was going. My best friends lunged across the table and grabbed hold of my hair.

I gave a squeal and tried to push them off my head.

"Don't touch the hair!" I dove into my bag for my hairbrush and quickly calmed down the mess that was my hair. I wasn't happy with Gail and Alice, but I knew they meant it all in good fun.

"She keeps a brush with her at all times," Alice snorted. Noah just shrugged and pulled a comb out of his pocket.

"I always have my lucky comb with me. It was my dad's and he passed it down to me," He explained. I smirked toward my friends.

"I guess I'm not totally crazy, am I?" I asked in an amused manner. Alice and Gail gave tiny grumbles of response before going back to their food.

We talked for another twenty minutes before Alice had to go.

"C'mon Gail, I don't have all day!" My best friend complained. "I drove you here and I told your parents I would drive you home, so move your butt!"

My other friend pouted, looked longingly at Noah, then stood up and put on her jacket. I gave a tiny wave while taking a sip of my water. Gail and Alice said their goodbyes before disappearing out the door.

"Well that was fun," I commented aimlessly. Noah nodded his head before taking a piece of ranch-covered lettuce off my plate and sticking it in his mouth. I gave him a look and he just shrugged his shoulders.

"So I was wondering; if you're not doing anything today, would you like to come over and we can have that movie day we've been talking about?"

I smiled and set down my fork. Noah's hazel eyes shined with excitement as he looked at me for an answer.

"Let me call and ask my parents really quickly, ok?" I asked as I pulled out my ancient phone. I dialed the number and listened to it ring for a couple seconds before my mom picked up.

"_Hi honey, what's up?_"

"Mom, a friend was wondering if I could go over to his house to hang out for a little bit?" I bit my lip, nerves fluttering in the pit of my stomach.

"_Who is this friend?_" My mom questioned uneasily.

"It's Noah, the boy in my Spanish class I've talked about." I answered. My mom had never met the boy but I mentioned him more than a few times around the house.

"_Are his parents going to be home?_" She asked in alarm. I took the phone away from my ear and pressed it to my shoulder.

"Your parents are going to be home, right?" I checked. Noah nodded his head brightly.

"Of course they are. One of them is always there," He answered. I gave him a thumbs up and pressed the small cellular device to my ear.

"He says yes."

"_Ok, sweetie, but be careful driving back. I want you home no later than 9:15," _She instructed sternly. I did a mental happy dance and smiled.

"Ok mom, I'll be sure to do that! I love you, bye!" I thanked her before ending the call.

"So can I assume it's a yes?" Noah asked hesitantly. I nodded energetically and pulled my keys out of my pocket.

"I'm ready to go whenever you are!" I was so excited. I really didn't get to spend time with my friends often.

"Ok, you can follow me back," Noah stood up and pulled out his phone, his eyes scanning a text he received. "My mom's home and she says you're more than welcome to stay for dinner. My dad's going to be home later so we're just ordering pizza."

I took a giant breath. Meeting new people (especially adults) was not my forte. I was sure Noah's parents were very nice but I didn't want to come off as awkward and unresponsive.

"Sounds like a plan," I smiled slightly. Noah jumped in excitement and we went to our cars.

As I followed the pretty silver sports car that was Noah's down the main road I was trying to mentally prepare myself to meet Mrs. Diamond. I ran through things I could say that wouldn't earn me odd looks. I gripped the steering wheel tighter and gritted my teeth at the butterflies fluttering in my stomach.

Suddenly we turned and entered a neighborhood. My heart sunk and my eyes got giant as I stared at the huge houses we passed by. This was the richest place in the school district and the exact opposite of the house I lived in.

We took a couple more turns before pulling into a long driveway. My breath caught in my throat at what was one of the biggest and prettiest houses in the neighborhood. I put the car in park before turning it off and pulling my keys out, not wanting to move.

"_What on earth do his parents do for a living?_" I wondered. I saw Noah jog out of the garage and to me. I slowly unbuckled my seatbelt and hesitantly got out of my vehicle.

"C'mon, dork, my mom really wants to meet you!" The tall boy grabbed my hand and pulled me through the garage into the house.

My eyes got even more giant at the sight of the inside, which looked like it belonged in a magazine for house of the year. I felt bad just stepping in it, feeling like I was ruining the perfection.

"Noah? Is that you sweetheart?" I heard a kind voice ask.

"Yeah, Mom. Ellie's here too," He replied as we walked into the kitchen. I was giving myself a pep talk but nothing could have prepared me for what I saw.

Identical green eyes met one another and filled with shock. I let out a tiny gasp before my legs started to shake.

She was my exact twin only twenty or so years older. Her thick bronze hair cascaded down her thin shoulders, meeting pale skin adorned with freckles. Her mouth hung open slightly, surprise evident in her bottle green eyes.

Noah cleared his throat awkwardly. "Mom, this is Ellie. Ellie, this is my mom."

I shook out of my daze and blinked a few times. "It's so nice to meet you, Mrs. Diamond." I gave a hesitant smile.

The older woman never skipped a beat and flashed me a warm grin in response. "Just call me Autumn. Mrs. Diamond makes me feel old."

I laughed and immediately felt at ease. Noah visibly relaxed beside me.

"Are you two going to be in the basement?" His mom asked. I looked up at the tall boy and he nodded.

"I was going to pull some movies from up here since the majority of the ones down there suck." His mom gave him a pointed look.

"Language, Noah," She reprimanded him. He just shrugged it off and led me to their open family room.

I stood in the middle of the floor awkwardly while Noah searched for our cinematic adventures. I played with a strand of my hair when something on the balcony caught my eye.

I quietly walked over and stared at the framed picture of two messily colored grass hoppers with two almost-unidentifiable drawings of the same bug close by. Under each one read a name that I could barely decipher. An eerily familiar feeling passed through me. I _knew _that picture from somewhere but it was like there was a part of me that refused to let me think of it.

"Noah, did you draw this?" I teased halfheartedly. The pretty boy halted his searching to look at the insect drawing. Immediately his face fell and I felt bad for asking.

"No, I didn't," He answered softly. I scrunched my eyebrows together in confusion and lightly ran my index finger along the wooden frame.

"Then who did? I recognize it from somewhere," I murmured the last part. Noah stood up, three movie cases clutched in his tan hands.

"Somebody very special to me." He paused to take a deep breath. "If we don't start these now we'll never finish. C'mon, dork!" And just like that the subject matter was gone, but that scary feeling of recognition in me wasn't.

* * *

"I swear, it's like we don't feed you around here," Autumn commented as Noah went in for his fourth slice of pizza. I giggled and wiped the sauce off my hands.

"I'm a growing boy, Mama," He argued shamelessly.

"You've been "growing" for three years now, hon. You and your father," She shook her head. As if on cue, the sound of a garage door opening sounded.

My heartbeat accelerated and I started to freak out yet again. Before I knew it the door was opened and closed and I could hear footsteps coming towards us.

"You're home early," Autumn greeted her husband.

"Yeah, I got all the paperwork done surprisingly fast and-" A smooth voice stopped abruptly. I cautiously peeked up to find a man who looked exactly like Noah staring at me, his mouth hung open slightly in shock. I felt the heat rising to my cheeks and I dropped my head back down.

"Uh, James, this is Noah's friend from Spanish, Ellie," His wife said slowly. I looked back up again; embarrassed by the fact my face was probably bright red.

Mr. Diamond stared at me in disbelief for a few more seconds before coming out of his state. He set his car keys on the counter and walked over to me.

"It's really nice to meet you, Ellie," He shook my hand and offered me a genuine smile. I breathed a sigh of relief and smiled back.

"You too, Mr. Diamond," I said. His lips turned down in a frown.

"Please, just call me James. Mr. Diamond is my dad, and it makes me feel old." I gave a small laugh at his similar response to his wife's.

"I'm fine with it as long as you don't try to call me Elizabeth," I smiled. Noah nodded next to me.

"She hates that… Like a lot!"

"Just Ellie." That was my go-to phrase whenever somebody tried to use my full name.

Those two words seemed to strike a chord in Noah's parents. They winced slightly but quickly tried not to let it show.

"I'm going to change them come eat with you three," James turned on his heel and disappeared up the stairs.

Sure enough, within five minutes the man with movie star good looks came back down the stairs in jeans and a t-shirt. He affectionately ruffled Noah's hair before sitting down next to his wife.

"How was your day, Noah?" He asked while grabbing a slice of pizza.

The boy next to me shrugged and tried to fix his slightly-messy locks. "It was good. I spent most of the day with this girl." He nudged me. I smiled lightly and looked down.

"You must have so much patience to spend an extended amount of time with my son," Autumn laughed. Noah pretended to look offended.

"It doesn't surprise me with all Noah says about you," James commented. I immediately felt the heat rising to my cheeks. He talked about me with them?

"Oh yeah, he doesn't seem to stop sometimes," His mom added. I looked over to see him looking like he wanted to be anywhere but here.

"I don't talk about her _all _the time," He whispered, his head hung low. I giggled and gave him a pat on the back.

* * *

We ended up talking for an hour and a half until I realized I had to leave.

"Thank you so much for letting me come over," I said gratefully as I pulled my car keys out.

"You're so welcome, sweetie. Don't be a stranger; our door is always open," Autumn smiled. A pang hit my chest at her kind words.

James stood up and wrapped his arm around his wife's waist. "It really was nice meeting you, Ellie." I smiled and suddenly I really didn't want to leave. There was something oddly familiar about this family. I felt comfortable and like I belonged there.

"I'll walk you to your car," Noah offered. I gave a final wave to his parents before heading outside.

"I had a fun day. Thank you so much," I told the tall boy as I opened the driver's door.

"We'll definitely have to hang out again," Noah smiled. I nodded happily.

"I should probably leave before my parents send search dogs after me. Goodnight, Noah."

"Goodnight and sweet dreams, Ells," He replied before walking back into his house.

I pulled out of the driveway, a warm feeling passing through me at his simple sentence.

The dark trees flew past me as I drove along the main road, my mind wandering to the grasshopper picture in the Diamond's living room. Again, the feeling of recognition came up but I tried to suppress it.

I pulled in my garage and all of a sudden an image came to my mind.

_Four people were at a table eating dinner. The two parents smiled fondly at their children who were playing with their dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets. All of a sudden the little girl's chocolate milk was knocked over, the cold liquid spilling on her leg. _

"_I'm sorry. I didn't mean to," She apologized before bursting into tears. _

I gasped and clutched the car for support as the scene disappeared as quickly as it had come. I tried to think back, but as hard as I tried, nothing happened.

To say I was shaken up would be a major understatement.

**Look at that, another chapter down! Again, I am so, so sorry for taking so long! I hope to have the next chapter out sooner than a month from now, I promise! **

**Speaking of which, I'm so excited because I actually know what's going to happen for the rest of the story and I think it's going to be good(;**

**James: That means it isn't.**

**Me: MEAN!**

**James: Stop trying to be Logan.**

**Me: Aw, but I love Logie-Bear! He's my favorite!**

**James: And I'm not?! How rude!**

**Me: Well at least Logan doesn't talk back.**

**Please, please, please review my loves! Do you see that pretty box right below here? Yeah, it hasn't been used a whole lot lately and it's started to feel lonely and unloved. You don't want the review box to go cry in a corner, do you? **

**Review box: *is sniffling in the fetal position* Please use me. It brightens my day a little bit. **


	5. Chapter 5

'**Ello my lovelies! Look who updated in less than a month's time! Cyber cutout cookies to: AkireAlev, NeonLovesYou, and Pink Princess 777. Hey, want your name to be up here? Review! You'll receive virtual cookies(: **

**Warning: This chapter is a whole lot of angst. Read at your own pace and know you have been warned(: **

I walked into the warm school building, my hands clutched around my hot chocolate in the purple traveling coffee mug. I took a tiny sip, sighing at the heat it brought. Students around me talked tiredly to each other, apart from the occasional early bird, who was full of energy.

I sluggishly made my way over to my friends. Suddenly, I collided with a body. I looked up to apologize only to realize it was the one and only Mr. Knight standing right next to me. He gave me a pointed look.

"I do believe school policy states all drinks must be kept in clear containers and can only be water, Miss Whitacre."

I blinked a few times and looked from my drink to my English teacher. "But it's hot chocolate," I protested slowly.

"I don't care. Rules are rules and I expect you to get rid of it. The next time it _will _be a detention," He warned before walking off. Anger coursed through my body as I watched him retreat. Part of me wanted to dump my drink all over his head but the sensible part stopped me.

"Don't know what I ever did to him," I mumbled as I took a spot next to Noah.

"What's that?" He asked. I looked up and rolled my eyes. "Ok, you look really mad so I'm going to let you be."

I was content staying quiet and silently seething until Noah brought up something about hockey tryouts.

"Coach Knight was glaring at me the entire time, so I wasn't really focused," He admitted. I snapped my head up, further rage added to my mood. Noah looked extremely upset.

"When does the list go up?" I asked, trying to keep my voice calm.

"Today at three," He replied. He gave me a look begged to talk to me about it. I gave a tiny nod right as the bell rang.

"_It's going to be a long time until Spanish._"

* * *

By the time sixth period rolled around I had managed to calm down considerably. I took a seat at my desk and quietly retrieved my binder and a pencil from my backpack. I looked up to see Noah coming through the door. I waved halfheartedly and he gave a tiny smile back.

The bell rang and the teacher told us today was a work day on a packet we received yesterday. As soon as she went back to her desk I turned to Noah.

"Do you want to talk about tryouts yesterday?" I asked. He let out a big breath and nodded his head.

"The minute I walked in Coach Knight saw me and I could tell he was surprised. Apparently he hasn't ever seen me around school but he definitely remembered who I was." Noah bit his lip before continuing.

"All throughout drills I could _feel _him looking at me. I would glance at him from time to time and he was just giving me this look like I was the last person he wanted to be there. I tried to be friendly and smile at him but he would just roll his eyes and act all immature.

Then we got to playing scrimmages and I'm not going to lie, I was doing really well. I never tripped, passed the puck off as much as I could, and I scored more than anybody else. I felt amazing. Well, that didn't make a certain somebody too happy. Every time I got another point he would look super angry and scribble something down on his clipboard.

When we were finally done all these guys were patting me on the back and congratulating me. I was proud of myself and pretty confident that I would be placed well. That all went out the window when I took one last look at Coach Knight and he was giving me the worst possible glare I think I had ever seen." I gave Noah a sad look as he inhaled through his nose. He looked like he was about to cry.

"Ellie, I thought I was about to burst into tears. I tried so hard to make him proud and want to talk to me again. To see him look at me with so much _hate _kills me. I just want our family to be whole again."

It felt like every ounce of happiness I had ran away. "Maybe if you talked to him-"

"No," he shook his head. "There's a vital part missing that's never going to be there, no matter how hard we try."

I wanted to ask again what had happened all those years ago, but I knew it wasn't a good time at the moment.

"Listen, I just want to work on Spanish right now," Noah said before burying himself in his packet. It was then I knew how upset he was because he _never _willingly worked on Spanish.

* * *

I sat in English, tapping my pencil against my binder as Mr. Knight droned on about the tone of literary works. I wasn't really paying attention, my mind wandering to Noah and hockey tryouts.

The way Mr. Knight acted made me mad beyond belief. That was his own nephew and he treated him like he did with me! I didn't understand how he had the audacity to do that.

Under all the anger to my English teacher was an emotion I didn't expect. Deep down I felt a slight bit of guilt but I couldn't figure out why. I repeatedly tried to tell myself I wasn't the one who drove them apart, but the feeling never went away.

"Any time you'd like to join the rest of the class would be fantastic, Elizabeth," Mr. Knight pulled me out of the thoughts. Students around me giggled and I could feel the heat rising to my face. My teacher set down the papers he was holding and picked up a new set and began to pass them out.

"This is a new project you guys are going to do." The girl in front of me handed the information sheet back to me. "It's a personal timeline of your life. I want you to find photographs, pictures, letters, or whatever else you want from the days you were in diapers up until now to put together on a poster board. With that, I want all of you to write a paper explaining what your family means to you. I want these projects to be creative, colorful, and very heartfelt, alright? These are counting as your midterm exam grades so _do not _slack off."

I immediately perked up. I had always looked forward to doing some kind of project like this.

"_I'm going to have the best poster and paper he'll read. He _has _to give me a good grade on this,_" I thought eagerly.

The bell rang and students made a mad dash for the door. I walked out of the room feeling happy, a major first.

* * *

I carefully restacked the paper towel display some toddlers accidentally knocked down. Next to me, an elderly couple was arguing over what kind of cereal to buy.

I stood up and stretched my legs. I stepped back to admire my work right as my phone vibrated. I looked around before cautiously pulling it out. It was a message from Noah. Once again, I checked to make sure nobody was coming before I read it.

'_I didn't make the team._' It simply read. I stood there, mouth agape.

'_I get off in five minutes. Be over soon._' I replied quickly before shoving my phone back in my pocket. I slowly made my way over to the bakery section and picked up a container of frosted sugar cookies.

By the time I made it to the self-checkout my shift was over and I was free to go so I quickly paid for the cookies, hung up my apron, and jumped in my car to get to Noah's.

I got there within ten minutes and went up to knock on the door. His mom opened it, a sad smile crossing her face when she saw me.

"Hi, Ellie. Noah's up in his room which is the door at the end of the hall on the second floor," She instructed softly. I nodded and quietly walked up the stairs and found his room.

"Noah?" I called out gently while giving a gentle knock. Just a few seconds later the door was swung open and there stood the tall boy looking very upset. I frowned before pulling him in for a hug.

We stayed in that position for a little while longer before I pulled away and offered him the cookies. "These are for you." He smiled and took them from my hands.

"You're the best," He thanked me. "Oh, come in my room! We don't have to talk in the hallway." I stepped in and my jaw dropped. His bedroom was at least three times the size of mine and looked out on many trees behind their house.

"Sorry about the boxes. We still haven't completely moved in yet," Noah apologized. I blinked a few times and shrugged my shoulders. "I'm actually really surprised my mom let you come up. Regularly she wouldn't let another girl alone with me in my room."

I took a careful seat on his bed. "I think you should've made the team. Mr. Knight is immature to not put you on it because of being biased."

Noah gave a sad shrug. "Then, when I went up to his room to talk to him about it he said he didn't put me on because I was "over confident and not a team player". That's not the worst part, though. After he said that he must not have thought I could hear it but I heard him mumble "just like your father". Ellie, my own uncle hates me and there's nothing I can do about it." At that point, Noah Diamond, the strongest boy I knew, started crying.

My heart shattered at the sight. I scooted over and took him in my arms. "Noah, shhhh, it's ok," I soothed. "He doesn't hate you for something you did, alright? It's not your fault he's on bad terms with you." I immediately regretted saying that as soon as Noah started sobbing.

"T-that's the t-thing," he hiccupped. "It's completely my f-fault!"

"You said what happened drove your entire family apart. There's nothing you could have done as a five-year old to cause that."

"If I hadn't asked to go to the park she would still be here!" He snapped at me. I scrunched my eyebrows together in confusion.

"Noah, what on earth are you talking about?" I asked in a puzzled tone.

The tall boy was silent for a minute before taking a deep breath. "Ellie, nobody outside of my family has heard this story, so please don't tell anyone." I nodded my head and remained silent.

Noah closed his eyes and let out one last breath. "I'm not an only child like you think I am."

"But you live alone with your parents-" I was cut off.

"I have, or _had _a twin sister." I gave him a confused look yet again. "March 27, 2020, my mom gave birth to me and my twin sister, Elizabeth Reagan Diamond."

Upon hearing that, my brain almost stopped functioning. March 27, 2020. My exact birthday. Elizabeth Reagan. My exact name.

"_I don't like where this is going,_" I thought as I tried to control my breathing.

"We were some of the closest siblings you would ever see," Noah continued. "We did almost everything together and hardly ever argued. You know how people say twins have a way of communicating without talking? That was us.

Our entire family was happy. Before my dad took over my grandma's cosmetic company he was in a boy band with his three best friends; one being my Uncle Kendall. Well, they came over all the time because we lived close together. I learned hockey from Kendall and my Uncle Carlos and Logan were always there to watch and give me encouragement.

Well one day when I was five I wanted to go to the park with Ellie. Of course, my parents agreed and my dad took the two of us. I mean, it's the park! The worst that can happen is you fall off the jungle gym and scrape your knee.

We got there and, well, being the little kids we were, having the best time ever. Then, about an hour in, I made the worst mistake of my life. I really had to go to the bathroom so I asked my dad to take me. Obviously, Ellie couldn't go in with us and she had already refused to do that, so my dad asked this nice-looking lady to watch her for like five minutes. She was more than willing, unfortunately.

We came back out and I was so obliviously happy. I went to go find something to do with Ellie, but I couldn't find her. I though she was playing a game of hide-and-seek, but that was so far from the case.

Before I went to the bathroom was the last time I saw her. My own twin sister was kidnapped. The hardest part is knowing eleven years later there's still no sign of her and she'll probably never come back into my life. I can't help but wonder what she'd look like, what kind of hobbies she'd have, stuff like that. There isn't a day that goes by I don't think about her."

I was silent for a minute, trying to let the information sink in. "But how did that break apart your family?" I asked softly. Noah gave a sad smile.

_Back to that day at the park_

_"Daddy, where's Ellie?" Little Noah Diamond asked. His father tried to take calming breaths but it was becoming close to impossible. _

_"Noah, we need to go home," He said as he grabbed his son. The little boy tried to ask more questions but it was no use. _

_"How was the park?" Autumn asked her husband as he walked through the door. The look on his face immediately alerted her something was wrong. She looked around and frowned when she noticed the absence of her daughter. "Where's Ellie?"_

_"Noah, go find Uncle Carlos," James murmured. The little boy nodded and took off for the backyard. "Autumn, come here," He took his wife's hand in his own and sat down at the table. _

_"James, please tell me where my daughter is," She begged. _

_"I don't know," James admitted softly. Upon hearing that Autumn's jaw dropped. _

_"How do you not know?!" She cried. Her husband looked up, tears shining in his hazel eyes. _

_"Noah had to go to the bathroom so I left Ellie with this woman who looked completely normal. When we got back out she wasn't anywhere to be found. Autumn, I was only in there for four, maybe five minutes! I looked for almost half an hour but she never showed up. I think Ellie was kid-" He wasn't able to finish the word before bursting into tears. His wife took a few shaky breaths, trying to comprehend what was going on. Five seconds later the information clicked and a sob came from her mouth. _

_Upon hearing the noise, Kendall and Logan came rushing into the kitchen, worry on their faces. The blond knelt in front of his sister and wiped away a few tears. _

_"Hey, what's wrong?" He asked gently. _

_"E-Ellie," She managed to choke out. _

_"What's wrong with her? Is she hurt?" Logan jumped in. Autumn just shook her head, more sobs wracking her body. _

_"James, what's going on?" Kendall asked desperately. The hazel-eyed man looked up, tears streaming down his cheeks. He took a deep breath and explained the situation._

_"Call the police," Logan instructed in a panicked voice. _

_"We'll find her," Kendall murmured to his sister although he wasn't sure if he was trying to reassure her or himself._

* * *

_Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months. The story hit the press and flooded newsstands. Every time the phone rang their hopes would go up only to find disappointment. Elizabeth Reagan Diamond was still nowhere to be found. _

_Tensions within the family were reaching dangerous levels. The little things were taken out on whoever was in sight. Poor little Noah was caught in the cross fires of many of the arguments and cried himself to sleep most nights. All he knew was his sister and best friend was gone and his family didn't love each other anymore. _

_Things reached an all time low nine months in. It was supposed to be a happy day because it was Noah's birthday. The adults put on fake smiles but on the inside it was killing them to know only one twin got the chance to celebrate turning six with the family. _

_The day was running as smoothly as it could. The entire family was there, including Mrs. Knight and Katie. Noah tried to be appreciative of all the presents he got, but it was hard for him to know his sister should have been next to him, squealing over a new doll she received. _

_Then all hell broke loose. _

_"Carlos, did you pick up the cake?" James asked. The Latino stopped to think, a frown passing his face a few seconds later. _

_"I forgot. I'm so sorry!" He apologized. _

_"You. Forgot. The. CAKE?!" James was furious. "HOW DO YOU MANAGE TO DO THAT?!"_

_"Woah, woah, whoah, what's going on?" Logan asked while running into the kitchen. _

_"Of course, Logan just has to get in the middle!" The pretty boy cried. _

_"James, it's just a cake. I can go pick it up now and be back in twenty minutes." Carlos tried to reason. _

_"No, it _should have_ been picked up two hours ago." By now, the entire family was crowded in the small kitchen in worry. _

_"James, honey, calm down," Autumn stepped forward to settle her husband. He turned around and roughly shoved her back. _

_"Don't get involved," He hissed. The bronze-haired woman rubbed the sore spot on her arm and tried to blink back tears. _

_"I'm sorry, but what gives you the right to treat my sister like that?" Kendall demanded. James turned to his brother-in-law and gave him a glare. _

_"Kendall, please don't. I'm fine, really," Autumn begged. _

_"Yeah, Kendall, she's _fine,_" James taunted while stepping closer. That was when the two lost it. Kendall tackled the pretty boy to the ground, yelling at him. Carlos and Logan tried to break it up, but before too long they were on the kitchen floor too. _

_Noah started sniffling and cowered into his mother's leg. She picked him up and whispered soothing things in his ear. _

_"Boys, that is ENOUGH!" Mrs. Knight yelled. The quartet stopped and unwillingly stood up, glaring at each other all the while. "This is a day to celebrate Noah."_

_Kendall scoffed. "You know, it's a little hard to focus on that when there's an important person missing! Ellie's not here and there's nothing we can do about it!"_

_"Kendall," His sister tried to reason. _

_"No, Autumn. Why are we holding in our feelings? Personally, I'm so fucking sick and tired of it! I'm tired of not being able to say what I feel!" He paused to look at James. "Maybe if _somebody _had been a better father at the park one day we wouldn't be in this situation!"_

_Everybody stopped. His brother-in-law slowly walked up to him and they stood nose to nose. _

_"Out. Now." He demanded in an icy tone. "I don't want to see you in this house ever again."_

_"James-"_

_"No, it's fine. I don't want to come back anyway. C'mon Jo, we're leaving," Kendall spat. His wide-eyed wife cautiously made her way over to him before they left the house. _

_The front door slammed shut, leaving an angry and tense feeling in the air. _

_"Was that necessary?" Logan questioned in an incredulous tone. _

_"If you have a problem with it, you can leave," James replied, not about to be messed with. _

_"Then I guess I'm going." Camille walked over and joined hands with the raven-haired boy. "Have a nice life, James." He said before the couple walked away. _

_Stefanie made her way over to Carlos and hugged him. He was in the verge of tears. "I'm so sorry but I can't do this." He whispered brokenheartedly before they, too, left the house. _

_James rubbed his temples. "I need everybody gone. NOW!" He yelled to the remaining guests. _

"_Thank you so much for coming," Autumn whispered to each person as they exited, Noah still resting against her hip. _

"_I need to be alone," James mumbled before taking off for his room. _

"_Is Daddy going to be ok?" The little boy asked. His mom gave him a gentle smile. _

"_I sure hope so."_

* * *

_That day was the very last time anybody in the family saw one another. Communication just stopped and nobody seemed to care. One of them could have died and it wouldn't have mattered. _

_The press coverage on Ellie slowly faded away with time and just a year and a half after the incident she was completely forgotten to the public. New stories dominated people's life to the point of getting a few words to remind them of the girl was impossible. _

_The pain never fully faded from the Diamond household. The first few years they were so hopeful she would be found but that, too, faded. They tried to move on with life, but that proved to be incredibly difficult whenever March 27 came up. They never touched her room, just passed by it and occasionally went it and just stood there. _

_When Miss Elizabeth Regan Diamond left their lives, she took their hearts with her._

The room was silent for five minutes while everything I just heard replayed in my head. I went to rub my eye, surprised when I pulled away and it was wet.

"It's not fair," I sniffled and hugged Noah. He wrapped his arms around me tightly.

"I know she's still out there," He said. "I can feel it. You know, when I saw you the first day of school there was something that reminded me about her. I can't really explain it and you probably think I'm creepy now but that's kind of the reason why I sat next to you in Spanish."

I shook my head. "It's not creepy, trust me," I reassured him. "If I could, I would bring your sister back because nobody should have to live with a broken family."

He gave me a sad smile. "I think part of the reason Mr. Knight hates you is because you look exactly like my mom when she was your age. It reminds him is things he really doesn't want to think about. It doesn't help your name is Elizabeth."

I gave a nervous laugh. "Yeah, it's weird." I decided to omit the part about my middle name being Reagan and the fact we shared a birthday.

Suddenly, the memory of the grasshopper picture came to mind. "That framed picture downstairs… Did Ellie color that?" I asked. Noah let out a breath and nodded. He stood up and went to pick up a picture frame on his desk.

"It's one of the only things we have left of her. This was the last picture when all of us were together," He handed me the frame and the familiar feeling hit me again full force. The sun was shining on the happily family of four. Autumn was holding a younger version of Noah and James was holding who I assumed to be Ellie. I blinked a few times, trying to shake the similarities between her and me.

"Do you see the locket she's wearing? My parents had it specially made for her. It has an engraving on the back that says '_With infinite love' _and a family picture on the inside. She wore it to the park with her and would be the only thing to help her remember us."

"Yeah," I replied absentmindedly while staring at the picture. Something just wasn't settling with me when I looked at it.

"_I need to figure out what's going on… Now."_

* * *

I dug through boxes of old pictures for my English project, my mind wandering back to Noah and his sister.

It just wasn't fair what he had to go through. I couldn't imagine life without my parents so trying to imagine how he dealt with losing Elizabeth was impossible.

I pushed aside a large stack of papers to find a tiny blue jewelry box at the bottom. I frowned, picked it up, and examined it.

"I wonder what this is," I murmured before pulling the lid off. I lifted the chain up and everything stopped.

There, dangling in the light was a beautiful silver heart-shaped locket. My hand started shaking and breathing became a difficult task.

"_Noah said there was an engraving on the back and a picture inside. This might not be what I think it is," _I thought desperately before turning it over.

'_With infinite love' _it read. With trembling hands I opened it to find a tiny yet definite picture of the Diamond family.

Suddenly, everything clicked into place. "Oh my god," I breathed. "I'm Noah's twin sister."

**Did we all make it to the end? I hope nobody died of angst overload in the process of reading this chapter. So now we know what happened after the first chapter ended and little Ellie was smart enough to figure out the truth. The next question comes: Why did she not remember all of this happening? Next chapter for sure, loves(:**

**James: You made me worry! Do you see this face? It's too pretty to have stress lines!**

**Me: Awwww, you cared about your daughter!**

**James: I-uh-well-maybe….**

**Me: I'm going to leave James to sputter like an idiot. **

**Want to make my day? Please review! I seriously love reading them and they make me so incredibly happy. Don't be afraid to tell me what you think of the story and possible ideas for future chapters if you have any. I always love getting new ideas!**


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm not very creative to think of a cute greeting like normal, sorry guys:/ It's been a long couple of weeks here in Emily-Land if that explains anything at all. I'm sure you guys don't really want to hear it and just read the story, so I'll just shut up haha(: Cyber mint-chocolate chip cookies to: BigTimeRusher422, JessyMaslow, AkireAlev, NeonLovesYou, smartcookie712, and Thatrandomguest (which, btw, made me smile when I saw what you put in for a guest name:) **

I gripped the sides of the box for dear life, afraid I was about to pass out. The basement walls swirled around me as I took deep breaths.

"The picture… His mom… How familiar everything felt… It all makes sense now," I gasped. The delicate silver locket stared back at me and I almost started crying. I tried to think back on the Diamonds, but the closest I got was a slight nagging feeling like I was supposed to remember this but I couldn't.

"Why can't I remember my own family?" I whispered sadly. This whole ordeal was completely overwhelming. I knew I couldn't tell Noah just yet and I didn't know how long it would take to sink in for me.

Suddenly, I heard the garage door opening and my heart jumped. I hastily wiped away my tears, shoved the necklace in my pocket, and ran up the stairs, my English project forgotten for the moment. Just thirty seconds later my dad walked through the door. He flashed a smile at me and I forced one back.

"How are you, my love?" He asked. A sick feeling passed over me.

"_Am I really _your _love?" _I wondered in my head. My fingers brushed against my pocket containing my terrifying secret.

"Good," I lied. I tried to focus on not passing out due to the intense shaking in my legs. "I'm going to work on homework up in my room."

My dad nodded and I pulled myself up the stairs and collapsed on my bed. I knew I had to confront them about it but how could I do that when even I couldn't recall what happened?

It was like there was a wall keeping the memories back. I felt like when there's a word on the tip of your tongue but as hard as you try it just won't come to mind. This, however, was more than a matter of a trivial word; it was an incident that ripped a family apart piece for piece.

"If this is true," I murmured while pulling out the locket and gently running my thumb over the surface. "I'm the reason Noah's life is a mess." Guilt washed through me and I could feel tears burning the back of my eyes. "I just don't know what to think anymore."

LINEBREAK

I ended up sitting in my room for two hours, attempting to figure out my mental problem. I looked through my physiology textbook but nothing seemed to help. Eventually, I just gave up and stared at the locket in wonder.

"Ellie, come on down for dinner!" My mom called. I set the necklace down carefully on my pillow and made my way down the stairs. An oddly familiar smell hit me.

"What are we eating?" I asked right as my mom pulled a tray out of the oven.

"I found something that I thought you'd like," She set the dark pan down and picked up one of the contents. "Dinosaur shaped chicken nuggets!"

Various images passed my brain. Two little kids. Spilled chocolate milk. Dinosaur chicken. I stared at the poultry in my mother's hand and in that instant it was like a dam bursting.

"Mom, I'm not very hungry and I have a lot of homework left to do. Can I skip dinner tonight?" I asked weakly, gripping the wall for support.

"Of course, sweetie," She smiled and I practically bolted for my room. I collapsed on my floor, nothing stopping the memories flooding my brain.

"That day at the park," I whispered in horror before I was transported to a world I never wanted to go back to.

_I stared after my dad and brother, a small pout on my lips. My brother was the only person who would play with me because all of the other kids were older and meaner. _

"_What's your name, sweetie?" A gentle voice asked. I turned around to find a pretty lady with sparkling chocolate eyes and the oddest shade of red hair talking to me. I giggle to myself, thinking it looked like a carrot. _

"_Ellie," I mumbled softly. The woman stooped down to my level and gave a smile, but there was something about it that was slightly off. _

"_What a cute name for such a pretty little girl." She paused and looked like she was thinking. "Are you hungry? I have some fruit snacks in my car."_

_At the moment a warning bell sounded in my head. "No, thank you. My mommy and daddy told me not to take food from strangers." My tiny fingers played with the silver locket hanging around my neck. _

_The woman raised her gingery eyebrows. "Did they? You can trust me, I promise." Once again, an off-smile graced her features. I shook my head, fear starting to creep into my system. Before I could take a step back, a hand was wrapped around my mouth and another around my stomach. _

_I tried to wiggle out of the tight grasp, sheer panic overtaking my body. I wanted to cry when none of the other kids seemed to notice. _

"_If you make a sound or try to run away, you _will _be killed," She threatened, malice in her voice. I could feel my legs trembling and I prayed my dad and Noah would come back out. _

_I was suddenly yanked back quickly and thrown in an old car. My head hit the ground forcefully and the last thing I saw was the bright red of the teeter-totter before blackness overtook me. _

_LINEBREAK_

_I woke up to an intense throbbing in my head. I blinked open my eyes to be met with darkness. Immediately, my breathing hitched and I tried to feel around to figure out where I was. _

_The memory of the park came back to me and tears sprung to my eyes. I whimpered, wanting my mom or dad more than anything else. I was scared, in pain, hungry, cold, and clueless. _

_Out of nowhere, a door opened, bringing in blinding light. I squinted and buried my face in my knees. The sound of the door closing and a light switch flicked on came. I peeked up in fear to find the copper-headed woman staring at me with a look of disgust. I ducked back to my previous position, bringing my legs closer together. _

"_Don't cower away from me, you worthless thing!" She pulled my legs out harshly and sent a hard slap to my cheek. I whimpered and cradled my burning face. _

"_Where am I?" I asked fearfully through my tears. The woman gave a half-crazed laugh. _

"_It doesn't matter. What does matter is that you're mine now," She smiled in a way that made me more frightened. "I always wanted a daughter." A cold hand was brushed across my red cheek and I flinched back. "Your stupid father just abandoned you. If he truly cared he wouldn't have trusted a complete stranger with his baby girl." _

"_My daddy's not stupid!" I protested quietly, immediately regretting it. A look of rage crossed her face and she crouched down so we were face-to-face. _

"_Children of ignorant parents pay the price, dear." She spat. My breath started getting shaky and I curled back in my ball. "Now, let me clear some things up. You listen to me and only me. Failure to do so will result in punishment. Am I clear?" I gave a tiny nod, only to be slapped again. _

"_You respond with words!" She glared. _

"_Yes," I squeaked out. That answer seemed acceptable because I wasn't hit again. _

"_Next, if you even try to run away, you'll wish you hadn't." She flashed me a hard look. "I swear, I _will _find you, no matter if it's been three days or ten years and you and the people around you will suffer." I gulped and gave a feeble 'yes'. "That's a promise, and I never break a promise."_

"_Lastly, you probably want to know what to call me. Since you're now my daughter, only 'Mom' or 'Mommy' is acceptable." She paused and smirked. "We're going to have the best time together, I just _know _it."_

_And with that, I was left alone in the small basement. The thought of never seeing my family again sent a fresh wave of tears to my eyes. I sniffled when the light caught on something shiny. _

_I took a shaky gasp and gently lifted the locket. Somehow, it hadn't been taken from me and for that I was thankful. _

"_I'm never losing you. That's a promise, and I never break a promise," I vowed to the necklace. "You're going to help me find my family again."_

_LINEBREAK_

_Time became impossible to keep track of. Every day was the same for me. I was fed the bare minimum to keep me alive and hurt for whatever reason my "mom" chose. I never once attempted to escape, although I had thought about it. _

_It got to a point where I couldn't remember pretty much anything about my real family. There would be days where I would stare at the picture in the locket and wonder who it was. The only things I remembered was my first and middle name and my birthday._

_Then, there came a day when she decided to go out to meet with her latest boyfriend and I decided to chance it. I was only seven but I knew I had to get out of the house soon or else I would die. _

_I waited five minutes after the front door closed and tiptoed to the top of the dark stairs. I quietly pressed my ear to the wood, my heart jumping out of my chest. I slowly reached out and grabbed a piece of metal that had broken off of the staircase. _

_I used the scrap to shakily pick the lock, like I had practiced many times before. After a few minutes, the door swung open. I pulled myself into the dirty kitchen, my nerves overtaking everything. There was no sign of the vile creature who tortured me daily and for the first time in years the foreign feeling of hope passed through me. _

_Before she could come back, I managed to pick the lock on the front door and step out into the warm air. I blinked rapidly and bent down to touch the grass. It was the first time since I came to the house that I had seen sunlight and been outside. _

_Sudden realization hit me; I had no idea where I was at, much less how to get out. I knew I couldn't stay standing there because she could come back for some unexpected reason. The thought of that happening sent me running through the dry grass and into the trees behind the house. _

_LINEBREAK_

_I wandered for days and days on end. Each passing hour scared me more and more. The constant prospect of her finding me kept me going in my weak and tired state. I avoided all roads and towns because _she _might be there. _

_It came to a point, however, when if I didn't get some sort of food I was going to die. I found a small house with a beautiful front yard and barely managed to pull myself up to the doorstep. I vaguely remembered a concerned couple answering the door before passing out. _

_LINEBREAK _

_The same couple kept me safe and gave me a home away from the frightening world. I explained my story to them and practically begged them not to tell the police. After much convincing they agreed and we moved to the town of Richmond, Virginia. I was illegally adopted as their daughter, but that didn't matter to me at all. _

_The locket was forgotten, along with the first seven years of my life. Little did I know I blocked everything except my first and middle name and my birthday from my memory. The word 'diamond' was just a beautiful gemstone to me and having a brother was only something my friends talked about. _

_Life went on for me and I was happy. I thought I was just a normal girl with two loving parents. I had no idea I was the missing piece to a family in need._

My breathing turned shaky as I was pulled out of my memories. I stared at the locket and an intense feeling of loneliness washed over me. I missed my real family _so much _at that moment.

"I have to tell them," I murmured out loud. I grabbed my phone off my pillow and nervously dialed in Noah's number. It rang two times before he picked up.

"_Ellie? Is everything alright?"_ He asked worriedly. I was trying to figure out how to subtly mention I was his long-lost sister, but nothing came to mind.

"Noah, I really need to talk to you." I was attempting to control my breathing.

"_This is about to make me sound like an awful person, but I have a bunch of homework to do, so can it wait?"_

"No, this has to be said tonight. Can I come over?" I felt like I was about to pass out from the nerves gripping me.

He let out a sigh from the other end. "_Yeah, I guess it's fine." _

"I'll be over in ten minutes. Oh, and make sure your parents are there." I had to stop myself from saying 'our parents'.

Noah agreed confusedly and hung up. I squeezed my eyes shut and took some deep breaths before slipping the locket in my jeans and going downstairs. I could hear the happy chatter of my "parents" as I grabbed my keys.

"I'm going to Noah's. Is that alright with you guys?" I asked hesitantly. My dad frowned and looked at the clock.

"Ellie, it's 7:13 on a Tuesday night. What could you possibly need to go over to Noah's for?" He asked.

"He really needs help with Spanish. We have a huge test tomorrow," I lied.

"Just be home no later than 9:15," My mom agreed before my dad could protest more. I thanked them before making my way to one of the scariest moments of my life.

LINEBREAK

I hesitantly knocked on the door, the sound of my heart beat overpowering everything else. Noah let me in, curiosity clear on his face. I took a seat on the couch in their living room, not really hearing the greetings his parents gave me. I caught sight of the grasshopper drawing on the mantle and the memory came to me clear as day.

"So, what's this all about?" Noah's dad asked. I stared at him, remembering every little time he had calmed me down when I cried or sang me to sleep at night.

"I don't know how to say this," I started before taking in a huge breath. "But I'm your daughter."

Everything froze and was silent. I sat there, my whole body shaking as I waited for somebody to say _something_. The most intense set of nerves was attacking my stomach and I couldn't seem to form coherent thoughts. The longest ten seconds of my life passed before anybody spoke.

"Get out of my house." James said coldly. His hazel eyes were furious and I was suddenly scared.

"I'm not lying, I promise-"

"You know what? I don't care! You have absolutely no right to come in here and lie about something so hard for us!" He looked on the verge of attacking me. I looked to Noah for help, but what he did just hurt even more. His once-friendly eyes were glaring at me with every ounce of hate he could manage.

"And I thought I could trust you." My best friend spat. I shook my head and went to take the necklace from my pocket.

"No, I'm not lying! I wouldn't do that to you and I can prove it-"

"LEAVE NOW AND NEVER THINK OF COMING BACK! YOU'RE JUST A STUPID TEENAGE GIRL I SHOULD HAVE NEVER LET NOAH BE AROUND!" James yelled as he stood up.

My heart dropped and I could feel tears burning the back of my eyes. I pushed myself up and shakily backed up to the door.

"I'm sorry," I whispered as I started to cry. "I'm so, so sorry." I looked over and Autumn had tears running down her face, but a sympathetic expression on her face.

"James, don't be so rash." She murmured.

"No," He objected, staring at me with pure hatred. "She's not welcome here anymore and never will be. Walk out the door and it'll be your last. What you just did made you a worthless human being."

I would have taken being stabbed to his words. I started to cry even harder because of the emotional pain I was in. My own _father _hated me and there was nothing I could do about it.

"I'm sorry. I won't bother you again," I apologized softly before walking away from my last hope.

***Insert odd noises a tired girl makes here* what a sad chapter! Legit, I was putting myself in Ellie's position and I almost started crying. Isn't James such a jerk?**

**James: I heard that!**

**Me: You made your daughter cry! What kind of a dad are you?**

**James: Well I'm sorry it took me by surprise!**

**Me: You have a weird way of dealing with surprises.**

**I hope the next chapter will be up soon but I make no promises. I already know what I'm going to do and just let me say the next few chapters are going to be INTENSE so be prepared! **

**Until then, please don't hesitate to review my loves(: They make me smile like an idiot and you get virtual cookies! Plus, I cyber-creep on your profile and if you have stories you've written I tend to read them, so if that's motivation then go ahead and review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**So you want to know what's embarrassing? When you forget to replace the words 'LINEBREAK' with the actual line and it gets published like that… That, my friends, is why you never update your story when you've only had eight hours of sleep the night before and it's late. Okie dokie, cyber-snickerdoodles to: smartcookie712, herethereeverywhere, AkireAlev, ackBTRxo, NeonLovesYou, Elevating4BTR, Pink Princess 777, and ElizabethMaslowBTR (are you secretly Ellie in disguise?:O) **

I looked across the row of desks and sighed sadly when Noah refused to meet my eyes. It had been almost a month and my friend had done nothing more than glare at me. To say it hurt would be putting it extremely lightly.

The teacher droned on about past tense triggers in Spanish but I was far from with it. Every day was the same for me: Wake up, try to be happy around my friends, practically beg Noah to talk to me, feel my self esteem grind even more in the ground with Mr. Knight's class, and go to bed. I hadn't felt truly happy for a while and it was starting to wear on me. I could see my world crumbling and there wasn't a thing I could do about it.

Today was the last day of regular classes before we took our midterms and got off for winter break. At this point for the past two years, I would have been mentally freaking out over exams I needed some serious study time with, but this year the only thing I could feel was overwhelming sadness.

The locket stayed with me wherever I went. It was the only thing reminding me of what once was. I looked at the picture every day, wishing we could be a happy family again. There wasn't a day that passed where I thought about all the possible "what if's".

Out of nowhere, the shrill tone of the bell sounded and everybody jumped from their seats. I quietly zipped up my backpack and walked out of the room.

In the hallway, students ran into me, clearly not taking notice I was even there. I climbed the steps and found my locker. I turned the dial, wanting nothing more than to curl up in my bed and go to sleep forever.

I started to walk to the cafeteria but stopped when I heard the familiar voice of Noah talking to one of his new friends. I looked around and hid behind the wall softly.

"So are you glad you stopped talking to her?" The other boy with black hair asked. I heard a laugh.

"Oh yeah, Ellie was just a pain before that, anyway. She was odd as hell, too. I don't know what I was thinking hanging out with her."

His words hit me like a ton of bricks. Their conversation continued to get quieter as the boys traveled down the hallway. My back hit the wall and I slid down, tears clouding my vision. I was glad there wasn't anybody around me.

"He hates me. He never wanted to be with me," I whispered brokenly before a fresh wave of tears hit. I curled my legs up to my chest and buried my face in my knees.

"Everybody would be so much happier if I wasn't here," I whimpered. Every ounce of my being was hurting and I wanted nothing more than to make it stop.

"God," I lifted my head and wiped away the water on my face. "If this is your plan for me, I want all this pain to end soon."

* * *

Somehow, I had managed to drag myself to calculus and then to English. It was the last ten minutes of class and Mr. Knight was passing back our personal timeline projects.

The perfect white papers were set down on my desk and for the first time in a while, a little bit of excitement coursed through my body. I put my heart and soul in the project and I was hoping for my very first A in the class.

I flipped the pages over and my heart dropped in my stomach. I blinked in disbelief at the big, red F sitting at the top of the paper, almost mocking me. Incredulously, I flipped through my pages to find not a single marking or comment anywhere.

Anger flashed white-hot through me as I stormed up to Mr. Knight's desk. "Explain," I demanded through gritted teeth. The bell rang, effectively leaving my least favorite teacher and me alone within a matter of fifteen seconds.

He raised his eyebrows, his bottle green eyes showing nothing but distaste toward me. "You were missing fundamental pieces of memorabilia, for starters."

"I specifically mentioned I had _nothing _for the beginning period of my life. I can't put something in there I don't have." I retorted angrily.

"Every parent has at least one picture of their child when they were born. I refuse to believe your mom and dad are any different." He countered, a nasty sarcastic edge to his voice.

"It. Wasn't. Possible." I hissed. It was only a matter of time before all hell broke loose. He stood up and pushed my project back to me forcefully.

"I gave you the grade you deserved and that's final." He said, pure hatred in his eyes. Disbelief and fury took over my body.

"What's been your problem with me this year? You're always so nice to every other student, but when it comes to me it's like I'm the worst person you've ever met. I don't understand!" I cried.

Mr. Knight paused, anger coloring his features. "This conversation is over."

As he turned to grab a binder I remained in my place. I wasn't about to let him win like that.

"It's because I look like your niece, isn't it?" I asked.

My teacher whirled around and stared at me, disbelief clear on his face. For a moment, time seemed to stand still and neither of us spoke.

"Get out of my classroom, now!" He demanded. I just shook my head.

"Admit it: you purposefully give me awful grades because you can't stand to see somebody who is the spitting image of a loved one you lost."

He was in front of me in an instant, the coldest look I had ever seen in his eyes. Deep down though, I could see hurt flashing through him. "You have no right to bring that up." He growled.

"It's not-"

"GET OUT OF MY CLASSROOM NOW! You're one of the most inconsiderate and dull people I know and I would be happy if you never came back!"

At that moment, my anger vanished and the sadness took hold again. It was like I had just taken a hockey puck straight to my stomach. For the second time that day, I could feel tears pricking the back of my eyes and I numbly turned around. The locket burned in my pocket and suddenly I didn't want it. I didn't want the reminder of what would never be.

I softly walked to Mr. Knight's desk, my face fully wet. The metal jewelry dangled from my fingertips.

"I'm sorry," I whispered brokenly as I gently placed my childhood in front of him. I turned back around and walked out the door, never once looking back.

* * *

Call it the dead quiet of my house or the stillness of the air, but something didn't feel right when I got home. I had been home alone all the time (most days, actually) but today it just felt off.

I tried to shake it away by doing my homework and cooking dinner, but it never left. Just to be sure, I locked all the doors and turned all the lights on.

It was 7:47 and pitch black outside. I was about to go upstairs to shower when I heard a noise that resembled footsteps from the kitchen. My breathing hitched but I tried to tell myself I was getting worked up over nothing.

However, the noise came again, and by this point I knew I wasn't imagining things. My heart started to beat out of control as I turned to run up the stairs and call the police.

I never got the chance to put my plan in action. Before I could reach the first step I was pinned to the wall, a gun held to my head.

"Don't you remember? I never break a promise."

* * *

Autumn Diamond started pacing around her house, an uncomfortable feeling pooling in the pit of her stomach. She glanced at the kitchen clock for the fourth time in the past thirty seconds. 8:23. Noah should have been home long ago and he hadn't as much called her.

But it wasn't just her son. Another horrible feeling was pulling at her. One she hadn't felt since that day her husband and two children went to the park.

The sound of the garage door opening came followed by James Diamond worriedly walking into the house. "Did he come home?" He asked his wife, panic clear in his hazel eyes. She shook her head and bit her lip to keep from crying.

"He hasn't answered his phone at all. James, something isn't right here." She spoke softly. "Call it a mother's instinct, but Noah's in trouble." The tall man took his wife's hands in his own.

"Autumn, all day at work I've been feeling incredibly guilty for yelling at Elizabeth… It's the same feeling I had about losing _her_. I think-"

James was interrupted by the ringing of his wife's cell phone. They eagerly scrambled for the small electronic device.

"Hello?" The older woman asked. She quickly put it on speaker.

"_It's hard to lose one child, but now to lose the other? How sad._" A female voice taunted. The couple on the receiving line shared a panicked look.

"Who is this?" James demanded.

"_Names don't matter, James Diamond._" They could hear the smirk in her voice. "_What does matter is your precious Noah is running out of time._"

"Let him go!"

"_I'll do what I feel like doing. Things aren't looking so great for him right now, though."_

"Don't you dare touch him," Autumn threatened.

"_Oh, I wouldn't be so worried about Noah if I were you. Little Elizabeth is in much worse shape than her brother." _She purred.

At her words, the couple turned pale and felt as though the wind had been knocked out of them.

"E-Ellie is there?" James managed to ask, now gripping the counter for support. At his words, the heartbreaking sound of a teenage girl's cry came from the other end.

"_I would get here before it's too late._" With that, the line went dead.

**WOAH! Scary stuff, huh? So I'm kind of at a lack of things to say… (That's odd for me!) Wait, I can tell you I'm going to prom in less than a week! (Because I'm sure you all wanted to know that…) We're going to skip my chat with James because he's in shock and cannot speak at the moment. I'm sure if he was here, though he would tell you to review because that makes for a happy Emily(;**


	8. Chapter 8

**Heyoooooo! So this is a pretty fast chapter update (for me, anyways) plus it's pretty long! To be honest, I think it's the most exciting and the best chapter thus far. Cyber Nutella cookies to: smartcookie712, herethereeverywhere, Pink Princess 777, BigTimeRusher422, AkireAlev, NeonLovesYou, and the guest reviewer. Thank you guys!**

I opened my eyes to a dim lighting and immediately wished I was asleep again. An intense pain shot through my head and it felt as if my body weighed a thousand pounds. I blinked a few times and the memories came flooding back to me. I shot up and my breathing became labored. The only thought that came to mind was "_this can't be happening"_.

My thoughts were proved wrong when a scarily familiar voice spoke behind me. The one voice I hoped to never hear again in my lifetime.

"Looks like Sleeping Beauty finally woke up." I was met with those steely brown eyes and fear took over. "It's been a while, hasn't it dear?"

My vocal chords lost all ability to form words so I shrunk back and started to shake. The two worst years of my life were suddenly on replay. I had been thrown back into my nightmares.

"I guess our little separation has caused you to forget some things, hasn't it?" She smirked, causing a horrible feeling to pass through me. "Answer me when I ask you a question!" Instinctively, I squeezed my eyes shut and flinched back, preparing for the sharp sting of the slap that came a mere few seconds later.

"Don't touch her!" A voice I hadn't heard in weeks called out. I froze and locked eyes with the last person I expected to be there.

"Noah?" I whispered, feeling tears come to my eyes.

"Oh, how sweet, you're protecting your little sister," Our captor said in a fake motherly voice. Noah's eyes widened and immediately filled with guilt. The woman stooped down and put her face right next to his. "But that won't matter if nobody saves you in time, now does it?"

"You're not going to kill us," Noah challenged, his voice strong. The woman simply laughed, sending a chill down my spine.

"Little Elizabeth made a mistake running away from me all those years ago." She turned and ran the side of her finger down my cheek. I recoiled from the touch. "And I did make a promise to her that I intend to keep. The bottom line is I will kill both of you because of your stupid sister's choices."

Anger flashed through his hazel eyes. "My sister is _not _stupid. She's one of the most caring and amazing people I know." He flashed me a small smile and warmth flooded through me.

"Aw, how nice." She remarked sarcastically before sending a sharp hit to his cheek, just where mine had been.

Immediately, I jumped up, not about to let this happen. In a sudden act of courage I found my voice.

"Don't. Touch. Him." I growled. She turned around, her eyebrows raised. She narrowed her eyes and took a menacing step towards me. I backed up, really wishing I kept quiet and the bravery gone.

Before I could take another step, I was pushed against a wall forcefully. I fell on my back right as some sort of heavy object landed on the top of my shin. A sickening snap could be heard and overwhelming pain soon followed. I let out a cry.

"Should've been more careful." Was the only thing the woman said before leaving, making sure to lock the door behind her.

As soon as the door clicked closed Noah was at my side. "Are you alright?" He asked, worry clear in his voice. Unbearable pain came from my lower leg.

"It's broken," I managed to get out. I bit my lip to keep from screaming. He tried to move me, but that just made it much worse. I let out a small cry.

"I'm sorry," He apologized quickly. We were quiet for a little bit. Noah, because he looked like he was thinking, but I was just trying to deal with my leg.

"You were telling the truth." He spoke softly. I blinked a few time, almost asking for clarification.

"Right, that night a few weeks ago…" I trailed off. Painful memories flooded my brain and I involuntarily closed my eyes tight and tried to push them away.

"I should have believed you." Noah whispered brokenheartedly. "I just thought it was too good to be true."

"What do you mean?" I asked, my eyes still closed. I could hear him take a giant breath.

"I can't tell you how many times my parents and I got our hopes up only to have them crushed. The police would tell us they were "so close" and that they would "find her within a week". It never happened." He got quieter. "I tried to push away the memories of her for years and years. Then, when I met you at school, all I could think about was her. I took one look at you and do you know what I thought? _That has to be my sister. There's no way it isn't her._ I got to know you and I wanted to believe it _so bad_ but I didn't want it to end up wrong. I don't think I could have taken that."

I could feel my heart breaking even more at his words. "But you still don't believe it, right?" I asked. Suddenly, a gentle hand tilted my chin upwards, forcing me to open my eyes.

"Ellie, when you came over that night, I can't tell you how awful I felt for what happened. After eleven years of shutting out everything related to the incident, it was how I was used to reacting. I tried ignoring you at school because every time I looked or talked to you, I knew you were right." He paused to wipe one of my stray tears away. "It took us being kidnapped and placed in a life or death situation for me to finally realize I have my baby sister back."

His words lifted a huge weight off my shoulders and a teary smile graced my face. For the first time in a while I felt genuine hope.

"I swear to god, we're going to make it out of here and be a family again." Noah vowed. A rush of comfort surged through me.

"Can you help me sit up?" I asked. My _brother _gently sat me up and helped me lean against what I assumed to be a shelf. Before he could move away, I pulled him in my arms. "Thank you."

I could feel him sit down next to me. "I've missed you so much, do you know that?"

"I missed you too." I whispered and leaned my head on his shoulder. "What if we don't make it out?"

Noah was quiet for a little while. "I don't want to think about that." He paused to think. "But if we do die, then at least I'm dying knowing the truth."

* * *

Kendall Knight was known for being stubborn and almost never apologizing. He knew how to keep arguments going and turn it back around to it being the other person's fault (even when it wasn't).

But when Elizabeth Whitacre gave him that necklace, Kendall knew he made a huge mistake. He must have sat there for half an hour, just staring at the familiar piece of jewelry he never thought he would see again. Being checked into the boards a hundred times would never compare to the feeling Kendall was experiencing.

He was in shock, that was for sure. '_With infinite love'_ stared back at him. Kendall remembered the day Autumn and James brought the necklace home. They had been so excited and proud of themselves, showing it to every family member they could.

He went home and just sat in his room he shared with his wife, who was at work. The locket dangled from his fingertips, reflecting the light from the window. He stood up, walked across the room, and pulled open a drawer on his dresser. Under the piles of shirts he produced a metal picture frame. A small smile graced his lips at the picture. He was sitting on his couch while his five-year old niece was curled up on his lap, her wild bronze waves spilled across his leg. They were both smiling, looking incredibly happy.

Kendall took another look at the locket and felt overwhelming guilt. He remembered seeing her the first day of school and thought his mind was playing tricks on him. She looked _exactly _like his sister, and to top it off her name was Elizabeth Regan. Every puzzle piece fit in place, but Kendall couldn't bring himself to believe it. To believe would be to make the situation real, and that scared him more than he was willing to let anyone know.

So what did he do? He treated Elizabeth unfairly and cruelly in hopes of pushing away unwanted memories. He gave her some of the worst grades in class for completely unreal reasons. Kendall would claim she "hadn't followed the prompt" or her writing was "poorly done" when it actually happened to be some of the most phenomenal things he had ever read.

He knew there was no point in denying it anymore. That was _his _niece and the locket proved it. Kendall had to take action and finally make the effort to heal from all those years ago.

"I'm going to talk to her tomorrow at school. We're going to be a family again." He vowed.

* * *

The cold winter air hit Kendall in the face as he took his last steps to the school doors. The heat was a huge relief as he scanned the crowd. He frowned when he saw no trace of the bronze waves peeking out. He looked over and found Ellie's two friends but just them.

Kendall walked over and saw they looked distressed and flat out devastated. They were talking in hushed voices, both looking close to tears. A horrible feeling hit him.

"Where are Ellie and Noah?" He asked cautiously, not really knowing if he wanted the answer. The one with blue eyes took a shaky breath.

"You didn't hear?" She asked. He simply shook his head. "Last night a missing persons report was filed for both of them. They were kidnapped."

Upon hearing her words, Kendall felt about ready to pass out. His legs felt shaky and he had to grip the nearest wall for support. Every unwanted memory came flooding back.

"_This can't happen again._" He thought desperately. The walls seemed to close in on him as Kendall made his way up to his classroom.

He sat at his desk, his head in his hands. Without trying to stop it, Kendall was thinking about every moment in time he shared with his niece. From her first words to first steps, they were all remembered. From the good to the bad to the painful and to the heartbreaking.

Suddenly, something snapped inside of him. He lost his family once and there was no way he was about to lose them again.

The bell rang and Kendall cursed under his breath. He ran across the hall and asked one of the other English teachers who didn't have a first period class to look after his. He then made his way down to the main office and quietly sat down at one of the secretaries' computers, looking around to make sure he wouldn't be caught. He quickly typed in Noah's name and the computer responded by flashing up his school picture and all information on his file.

Kendall looked around once again and scribbled down his nephew's address. From there, he exited out of the program and speedily exited the office.

"James and Autumn may not like it, but they're getting my help."

* * *

The atmosphere in the Diamond household was so painfully familiar. Autumn had her head on James's shoulder, tears sliding down her face. The older man was trying to keep his emotions in check but it was getting increasingly harder by the second. He glanced at the mantle where the grasshopper coloring sat and bit his lip to keep from crying.

A sudden knock at the door jarred the couple out of their thoughts. Autumn looked up at her husband, confusion clear in her green eyes. James simply shrugged as his wife stood up to answer the door.

Her breath caught in her throat and she almost had to do a double take. "Kendall?" She asked softly, her voice slightly raspy. James immediately stood up and walked briskly over to the door to see if it was true.

"Hey, Little One." Kendall greeted, using the old nickname he gave his sister in their childhood. "Long time no see, huh?"

"What do you want?" James asked harshly. A decade later and nothing had changed.

"James." Autumn reprimanded. The bronze-haired woman was lifted slightly by the appearance of her brother she hadn't seen in years.

"It's fine," Kendall gave a forced smile. "And to answer your question: I'm helping you find them."

"No you're not-"

"How did you know about this?" Autumn cut her husband off. Kendall looked down, his eyes filling with guilt.

"I've had Ellie in class since the beginning of the year but I never wanted to believe it was her. Then," He paused to take a deep breath and pulled out the locket. "yesterday she gave me this and I finally knew. I was going to talk to her about it today but I found out what happened…"

The couple's eyes grew wider at the sight of the necklace. Autumn reached out a shaking hand to touch it and burst into tears the moment her fingers made contact with the cool metal.

"I c-can't lose her again." She pressed herself into James's chest. "We were so close and now N-Noah's gone too!"

"We're going to find them," Her husband whispered gently. He looked up and directed his attention to his brother-in-law. "I know we're not on the best of terms, but we need you right now. I want my children back."

* * *

The cold night air wrapped around the trio as they peaked in the windows of every building in sight. They had been searching for five hours with no trace of the missing teens. The stars were out, almost as if to mock them.

"They might not even be in Virginia." Autumn sniffled. "What if we're too late?"

"We won't be," Kendall reassured his sister gently.

"We've searched every inch of the town and there's no sign of them. I know we don't want to, but what if we take a break?" James suggested heartbreak clear in his voice. He was on the verge of tears for one of the few times in his life.

"I don't know-" Kendall stopped short and froze. "Did you hear that?" He asked softly. The other two quieted down and sucked in a sharp breath when the sound of a teenage girl's cry could be heard very near.

"Elizabeth," James and Autumn breathed at the same time. Pain and hope surged through all the bodies, the cold temperature completely forgotten.

"James and I are going to go in. Autumn, call the police." Kendall instructed, his voice barely audible.

"What if you don't come out?" The only female worried. James pulled her in and gently kissed her lips.

"We will. I promise." He murmured. She nodded reluctantly and pulled her phone out.

"Be safe," She whispered before the two men disappeared out of sight.

* * *

Pain. It was the only thing I could feel anymore. My whole body hurt and I just wanted it all to end. Noah was only slightly better.

We stuck together through everything, though. I was incapable of moving, but my brother never left my side. He would sing me to sleep and just hold my hand when I hurt so much I was on the verge of passing out.

I had no idea how long we had been held captive, but it felt like years. All hope of being found was lost every time she hurt us. Noah tried to tell me otherwise, but I was convinced we were going to die.

I was curled up against my brother's chest, my leg searing in pain when the door slammed open. I flinched back and tried to squirm far away.

"Get over here, you worthless little brat." Her voice barked. I simply started shaking and remained stationary. "Fine, stay where you are. We have visitors."

That caught my attention. I looked up and almost stopped breathing all together. There in the dim lighting stood the two most unlikely men to come to our rescue. Every ounce of my being wanted my dad to wrap me up in his arms and tell me it would be ok. I missed the feeling of his touch and comfort.

She held their arms in a death grip, practically dragging them down the stairs. As soon as the bottom was reached they were pushed forward roughly and stumbled slightly. At that moment I locked eyes with my dad and the kind hazel I missed so much returned.

I took in a shaky breath and sent a desperate look his way, a few tears escaping. He gave me a tiny smile, reassurance coloring every feature on his face. '_It's going to be alright,_' he mouthed. I wiped away the wetness on my face before bowing my head to prevent getting caught.

"It looks like you came in time," Our captor laughed sarcastically. "But once an idiot, always an idiot." She smirked and slowly pulled out a hand gun.

"_This is exactly like the movies,_" was all I could think. It was only something I had read about, and nothing compared to the absolute fear going through my body.

"If I heard a single police siren, somebody gets killed." She lazily pointed the gun at Noah before lowering it again.

"What the hell do you want from us?" Kendall snarled. She pretended to think before strolling over to me. I tried to press myself closer to the wall but it was no use.

"Just to make everything even again," she answered before narrowing her eyes and sending a harsh blow to my broken leg. I let out a scream at the pain it created.

"Don't you dare touch her-"

"Ah, ah, ah," She cut my dad off by pointing the gun at his chest. "I wouldn't do anything rash if I were you."

His eyes burned with hatred, but he backed away nonetheless. Time seemed to stand still for a few moments. I sent a worried look to Noah and he looked just as scared.

In the blink of an eye the deadly metal was pressed right up against my temple. I gasped quietly and stayed rooted to the spot. The woman smiled cruelly, a cold look in her eyes.

"Maybe I should just cut this short." A sadistic smile passed her lips. At that moment I couldn't form coherent thoughts. The sound of a click echoed in my ears. I squeezed my eyes shut, knowing it was the end.

"_And I was so close,_" I thought. I was jarred out of my thoughts by the sound of the door being broken down. From there everything happened in a blur.

"POLICE!" Came the scream. Then the deafening bang of a gun, the pain exploding in my body, and the sudden rush of the ground to my head.

**And 3,228 words later, here you guys are! I left you guys with a cliffy there, didn't I?(: I'm sorry, I don't like to be mean like that but I have to go to sleep because I have my AP United States history exam tomorrow morning and I'm pretty sure I'm going to slowly die… **

**James: Ha, you're taking a nerd class!**

**Me: I will forever know more than I ever wanted to about U.S. history… Did you know Ulysses S. Grant got a speeding ticket for driving his horse-drawn carriage too fast? **

**James: Cool story, bro.**

**Me: I know, right? **

**Ok, so I really want to have the next chapter out soon because it's almost summer so my schedule is clearing up rather nicely(: So please, please, please review because they make me super duper happy and I will see you guys next time!**


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